ONE flyweight MMA king Demetrious Johnson nabs gold at 2024 IBJJF Pans
ONE flyweight MMA world champion and all-time great Demetrious Johnson added more gold to his ever-expanding trophy case as he snatched gold at the 2024 International Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Pan championships.
'Mighty Mouse', who has a BJJ brown belt under Matt Hume and fellow ONE star athlete Bibiano Fernandes, defeated three different opponents to top the podium of the Master 2 featherweight division of the tournament.
Here's a video of Johnson's performance on the mats with the guidance of his cornermen, Bibiano Fernandes and Lucas Pinheiro:
The Pan Championships, aside from the IBJJF Worlds, is the most prestigious and sought-after BJJ tournaments in the world. To win gold in the -70kg weight class, Johnson had to run through Carlos Alberto Morales of Cascao Jiu-jitsu first in the quarter-finals. He then had to defeat Sophanarith Am of Team Forsa in the semi-finals and then Marcio Luis Ferreira Filho of R1NG BJJ in the final round.
Considered to be one of, if not the most successful MMA fighter in history, Johnson is determined to conquer the competitive BJJ scene once he decides to hang up his gloves for good. We're eager to see how he'll do once he reaches the black belt level, where true legends are made.
Demetrious Johnson also won gold at the 2023 IBJJF Masters Worlds
The 2024 IBJJ Pan Championships wasn't the beginning of Demetrious Johnson's journey through competitive grappling. It arguably started last year, when 'Mighty Mouse' surprised everyone as he put on the jiu-jitsu gi and participated in the IBJJF Masters World Championships last year.
Here are some highlights of his performances:
Demetrious Johnson is a world champion in multiple major MMA organizations, including ONE Championship and the UFC. He holds the record for most consecutive UFC world title defenses with 11. He is the current ONE flyweight MMA world champion and former ONE flyweight MMA World Gran Prix champion.
At the moment, there's no immediate word yet on Johnson's next challenger for his MMA world title. His BJJ journey, however, continues to make headlines.