"This was the right time to do it" - Demetrious Johnson reveals how he knew it was time to hang up his gloves for good
Demetrious Johnson has been a class act throughout his distinguished mixed martial arts career. 'Mighty Mouse' once again exuded humility and grace when he made his final walk to the ONE Championship circle at ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6.
The now-former flyweight MMA world champion put the entire Ball Arena crowd and millions of fans watching worldwide on an emotional rollercoaster when he announced his retirement from MMA.
Taking to the microphone during the ONE 168: Denver post-event press conference, Demetrious Johnson said he initially wanted to walk away after beating Adriano Moraes last year but took some time to ensure he was making the right call:
"I did not intend on getting emotional and I knew after I fought Adriano the third time, after I did the press conference, I had my kids, and I was walking, I was like, ‘Damn is this what my life is right here? Is this it?' And I was like, you know what, I'm gonna take a year off, keep on training, and see if I miss it. Because I don’t wanna be the athlete who just retires and I’m back home and I’m training, and I’m like, ‘Oh man, I wish I could unretire, I wanna come back and fight.’ And then come back out of retirement and fight again."
Demetrious Johnson says it's time for the next generation to take over
After walking away from the sport that pretty much consumed his life early on, Demetrious Johnson is now looking forward to the next chapter.
The MMA GOAT candidate deduced that he made the correct decision and is looking forward to spending more time with his family. He said during the presser:
"I was sitting at home, I was like, ‘I don’t miss it.’ Like, it’s a young man’s game, I’m 38 years old, I’m spending time with my kids, my wife, and I just knew that this was the right time to do it."
The full replay of ONE 168: Denver is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.
Watch the ONE 168: Denver post-event press conference in its entirety: