The End of a Legendary Career

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, recently announced his retirement at the ONE Championship event in Denver on September 6. It was a moment filled with emotion as the former UFC flyweight champion decided to hang up his gloves after a 15-year professional career that spanned multiple organizations and saw him achieve historic success.

Johnson’s retirement didn’t come as a surprise to those closely following his journey. After concluding his trilogy against Adriano Moraes with a win and defending his ONE flyweight title, Johnson hinted that the end was near. As he began focusing on Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions and expanding his presence outside of the cage through podcasts and other ventures, the signs of a pending retirement were clear.

Johnson’s decision to retire wasn’t made overnight; he revealed that his passion for MMA had started to fade, leading him to seek fulfillment elsewhere.

“I’m not going to fight anymore,” Johnson said during a conversation with UFC contender Merab Dvalishvili on his podcast, recorded before his official announcement. “The reason why — I don’t find mixed martial arts fun anymore. The reason why, 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.”

New Chapter – Freedom to Explore and Evolve

Throughout his illustrious career, Johnson trained at AMC Pankration in Washington under the guidance of head coach Matt Hume. While his training there contributed greatly to his success, Johnson often expressed a desire to branch out and train with different fighters, a luxury that was not fully accessible during his active years due to the constant pressure of competition.

Now that he has retired, Johnson plans to travel and train with a diverse range of coaches and fighters, embracing opportunities that were previously off-limits.

“I train with [Aljamain Sterling], I train with Mikey Musumeci, I like to train with people,” Johnson explained. “Because if I ever feel like I want to feel Merab’s gas tank, I want to see how good he is, I want to feel his strength. The only way that would ever happen is if me and you were to fight each other. If I was a professional athlete, it would just never happen.”

Johnson is excited about the possibility of stepping onto mats around the world without the underlying tension of facing his training partners in competition.

“But if I’m like I don’t care about winning, I don’t care about ever having the opportunity to fight you, ‘hey Merab, can I come train with you?’ ‘Yeah, Demetrious come train, let’s train’ and when we train together you’re not going to have like ‘I need to beat you, you’re trying to learn from me.’”

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Staying Engaged in Martial Arts

Even though he has stepped away from MMA, Johnson remains deeply involved in martial arts. Over the past year, he has competed in numerous grappling events and plans to continue his momentum now that he’s no longer competing professionally in MMA. Johnson is eager to add new skills to his repertoire, working with some of the top athletes in the world without the looming threat of fighting them.

“I’ve never trained outside of training camp when I would fight,” Johnson said. “Now, next time I’m in Vegas ‘you’re done fighting, let’s train together.’ I’ll get more fulfillment from training with random athletes from my era than continuing to fight in mixed martial arts. That’s how I feel.”

A Career of Historic Achievements

Demetrious Johnson retires with an incredible list of accomplishments. He held titles in both the UFC and ONE Championship, and he remains the longest reigning champion in UFC history with 11 consecutive title defenses. Johnson’s tactical prowess, speed, and adaptability set a standard in the flyweight division that may never be matched.

Johnson’s legacy in MMA is not just about his victories but also his ability to evolve as a fighter and a person. As he moves into this next phase, he remains dedicated to martial arts and continues to inspire others with his relentless pursuit of growth and learning.

Sources: MMAnytt.se