Demetrious Johnson isn’t officially retired from MMA, but he’s not thinking about the sport either.
That’s how the former UFC flyweight champion and current ONE Championship flyweight champion explained things on a recent episode of the JAXXON podcast.
During his appearance on the podcast, “Mighty Mouse” also said that he has only hit the pads a few times in the past year and a half, and that he trains almost exclusively in Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) instead.
This certainly seems to be the case, based on one of his latest Instagram posts that showed him training with flyweight submission grappling champion Mikey Musumeci, one of the best athletes in BJJ today.
Johnson’s last three MMA fights have all come against Brazilian rival Marlon Moraes at ONE Championship. He lost their first fight by surprise knockout in one of the biggest upsets of 2021, but bounced back with back-to-back wins in 2022 and 2023 — first by knockout of his own and then by decision.
His three-fight rivalry with Moraes was split by a custom rules attraction against Muay Thai champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, whom he choked out with a rear-naked choke in the second round.
He ruled the UFC flyweight division from 2012 to 2018, masterfully knocking out the best opponents available during that time. He eventually lost the belt with a controversial split decision loss to Henry Cejudo in 2018, and was subsequently traded to ONE in exchange for former Bellator champion Ben Askren.
Johnson is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time and is at the top of the list in the eyes of many fans.
Musumeci, who Johnson called a “beast” in his Instagram post, made his debut in ONE’s flyweight grappling division in 2022. After a win over Japanese MMA legend Masakazu Imanari, he then captured the vacant belt with a victory over Cleber Sousa, and has since defended it with wins over Bayanduuren Gantumur, Osamah Almarwai and Jarred Brooks.
His last two matches have come in heavier divisions, where he submitted Shinya Aoki and Gabriel Souza.
His next fight, which will headline ONE 168 on September 6 in Denver, will see him move up several divisions to challenge Kade Ruotolo for the lightweight belt.
