“Made it look easy” - Fans marvel at Demetrious Johnson’s impeccable technique against rival Adriano Moraes in Denver
Demetrious Johnson is considered by many to be one of, if not the greatest mixed martial arts of all time.
After dominating in the UFC, 'Mighty Mouse' made the move to ONE Championship and picked up right where he left off, winning three straight fights to become the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix champion. That led to what would become one of the most iconic trilogies in MMA history.
Johnson went toe-to-toe with eight-time titleholder Adriano Moraes on three separate occasions for the ONE flyweight MMA world title on the line. After coming up short in their inaugural meeting at ONE on TNT I, Johnson walked away a winner in their last two meetings, including a masterful performance at ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5, 2023.
"The GOAT just needs one leg to get back up. Who do you want to see flyweight MMA king Demetrious Johnson face next?"
ONE Championship fans are still marveling at Demetrious Johnson's technical prowess, writing in the Instagram comments:
"The speed and balance in which he stood back up is very athletic, made it look easy."
"@mighty you are an absolute unit."
"There isn't anyone who can be a danger for GOAT @mighty."
To this day, Johnson remains the only fighter to hold gold in ONE Championship and UFC. The American legend defended the UFC flyweight world title a record 11 straight times before he ultimately took his talents to ONE Championship.
Demetrious Johnson leaves the door open for a return to the Circle
Still, holder of the ONE flyweight MMA world championship, Demetrious Johnson has not returned to the Circle since closing out his trilogy with Adriano Moraes last year. However, 'Mighty Mouse' has left the door open should something especially intriguing present itself.
“I'm always going leave that door open because something might land in my lap or ‘Oh that sounds fun! Let's make it happen.’ So I’m still training, still staying fresh, and learning more in no-gi in jiu-jitsu. But we'll see,” Johnson said in an interview with MMA Junkie.
Until then, Johnson is picking up medals at some of the premiere BJJ events around the United States. In 2023, he topped the podium at the 2023 IBJJF Masters Worlds in Las Vegas and just recently, he netted both a silver and gold medal at the 2024 IBJJF Pan Championships in Florida.