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Demetrious Johnson, widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts history, has officially announced his retirement. Johnson, the former UFC flyweight champion who defended his title a record 11 times, recently hung up his gloves after a legendary career. His decision to step away from MMA comes as he finishes his tenure as the ONE Championship flyweight titleholder.
On his "MightyCast" podcast, Johnson (25-4-1) opened up about the personal reasons behind his decision. The fighter known as "Mighty Mouse" revealed that he no longer finds joy in MMA, even though he continues to stay active in other forms of combat sports, such as jiu-jitsu.
“I’m not going to fight anymore, and the reason why is, I don’t find mixed martial arts fun anymore,” Johnson said. “I find more fulfillment in doing jiu-jitsu because I feel it’s harder. I find more fulfillment in helping and training with different people.”
Johnson explained that training with other fighters in a more relaxed setting, rather than preparing for a competitive bout, gives him a deeper sense of satisfaction. He values the experience of sparring with athletes like UFC bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili, not in a competitive setting but in a way that promotes learning and growth.
“If I was a professional athlete, right? It would just never happen. But if I’m like, hey, I don’t care about winning… ‘Hey Merab, can I come train with you?’ Yeah, you’re like, ‘Demetrious, come train,’” Johnson explained.
He finds these opportunities to collaborate and improve with other fighters more meaningful than the competitive nature of MMA fights.
Johnson’s final MMA bout took place in May 2023, when he defended his ONE flyweight title in a unanimous decision victory over Adriano Moraes, completing their trilogy. Despite the win, Johnson felt that his passion for MMA had diminished and he was no longer growing as a fighter.
“Once I get ready for a fight and I beat somebody, it’s like, OK, I beat him, I made this money – which is great,” Johnson reflected. “But I didn’t get to learn anything in that 25 minutes if that makes sense.”
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