On Friday night, in the city he calls home, Denver, Colorado, Demetrious Johnson called it a career.
The former UFC flyweight champion, who was traded to ONE Championship for Ben Askren in 2018, made the tearful announcement at the Ball Arena during ONE 168. While with ONE, Johnson won the promotion’s bantamweight Grand Prix and title.
Johnson, 38, finished his career in MMA with a 25-4-1 record and as ONE’s first-ever inductee into the promotion’s Hall of Fame.
Here is a look at Johnson’s emotional retirement speech:
After becoming the promotion’s first champion at 125 pounds, Johnson dominated the UFC’s flyweight division.
He held the title for almost six years before losing it to Henry Cejudo in 2018 in a rematch of their 2016 clash that saw Mighty Mouse stop the former Olympian in the first round. Following the loss to Cejudo, the UFC traded Johnson to ONE for welterweight champion Askren in a historic business deal.
The two fighters saw their futures drastically change in their new promotions. While Johnson suffered the only stoppage loss of his career at the hands of Adriano Moraes in April 2021, Mighty Mouse avenged the defeat with a stoppage win over the Brazilian in 2022 and another victory over him in 2023.
Askren’s career in MMA ended after just three fights in the UFC.
He submitted Robbie Lawler in his promotional debut but was brutally knocked out in five seconds by a flying knee from Jorge Masvidal in 2019 and submitted by Demian Maia three months later. Askren would try his hand at boxing against Jake Paul in April 2021, only to suffer another brutal one-punch KO.
Askren hasn’t competed in any combat sport since. There were rumors that the UFC might have wanted to negotiate with ONE about a fight between Mighty Mouse and the former’s current flyweight champion, Alexandre Pantoja, but that proved to be internet speculation, as nothing ever materialized.
As it is, look at some of Johnson’s achievements over a professional career that began as an amateur in 2006.
First-Ever UFC Flyweight Championship
Johnson is the inaugural UFC Flyweight Champion. He won the title in 2012 by defeating Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152. Johnson would go on to defeat Benavidez via knockout in their rematch a year later.
11 Consecutive UFC Flyweight Title Defenses
Johnson set the UFC record for the most consecutive title defenses in UFC history. during his six-year run as champion, he defended his title a whopping 11 times. He could lay claim that he is the greatest champion in UFC history.
Longest-Reigning UFC Champion
Johnson’s reign of 2,142 days as the UFC Flyweight Champ is the longest in promotional history.
Mighty Mouse’s Submission of the Year (2017)
Some called it the “Submission of the Year,” others called it the “Mouse Trap.” I call it the single most amazing thing I’ve ever seen anyone do in a mixed martial arts bout. Johnson’s submission win over Ray Borg in 2017 was straight out of a video game, and it adds to the former’s legacy.
One Championship Flyweight Grand Prix Winner (2019)
Johnson won the ONE Championship Flyweight Grand Prix to cement his legacy as the greatest in his weight class across two promotions. The weight classes are a little different in ONE, but Johnson showed his true greatness by shining in a different situation. He also became the first and only fighter to become world champion with both the UFC and ONE.
ONE inducted Mighty Mouse into the Hall of Fame on Friday.
It would be a shame if the UFC doesn’t follow suit sometime soon. There has never been a more deserving fighter of the double honor.