This Day in History: Demetrious Johnson earns 5th MMA victory
14 years ago today, people in attendance at Tumwater High School saw a legend in the making as Demetrious Johnson scored his fifth amateur MMA win.
The former UFC flyweight champion and MMA legend won against Louis Contreras at Northwest Fighting Challenge 6 on March 29, 2008. Under the tutelage of legendary MMA coach and now ONE VP, Matt Hume, 'Mighty Mouse' took home the win via keylock submission in the first round.
Johnson was 4-0 in amateur MMA at the time, while Contreras was 1-1. After the win, Johnson would rack up three more victories in the amateur ranks before facing Contreras again in his final bout before turning professional. After beating Contreras a second time, Johnson turned pro and the rest, as they say, was history.
Contreras, on the other hand, has not been seen in an MMA cage or ring since his clashes with the would-be legend.
Demetrious Johnson wins his first-ever mixed-rules bout at ONE X against Rodtang Jitmuangnon
The superfight at ONE's historic 10th-anniversary card, ONE X, had the entire MMA world buzzing. Demetrious Johnson fought ONE flyweight Muay Thai champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a mixed-rules contest that didn't disappoint.
This hybrid-rules bout, in which the first and third rounds were Muay Thai and the second and fourth were MMA, concluded in heart-stopping fashion at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Demetrious Johnson chokes Rodtang OUT COLD in the MMA round of their mixed rules bout. 🐭
Live results: bit.ly/3tExzgc https://t.co/NLZIaGmdTH
Adding to his already legendary legacy, the former 11-time defending UFC champion added another feather to his cap. He went toe-to-toe with perhaps the most dangerous Muay Thai fighter in his division. Not only did Demetrious Johnson survive, he also managed to put some good licks in.
In the second round, which was an MMA stanza, Johnson dominated and got the submission with ease. In the post-fight interview, the MMA GOAT contender showed respect for the Muay Thai legend:
"You know, this training camp was really [good] for me. Had a great team around me. They prepared me for this madness... I knew it was going to be hell. No one remembers your name if you don't take risks. I knew he was the hardest hitting man in this entire division... 35 years old, I ain't no spring chicken, but I can still fight."
At 35 years old and still with a lot of gas left in the tank, who knows what new records and achievements Johnson can still achieve. The only way to find out is to see him get to work inside the cage again.