On Friday night in Denver, Colorado, his hometown, Demetrious Johnson officially announced his retirement from MMA.
The former UFC flyweight champion, who was traded to ONE Championship in 2018 in exchange for Ben Askren, delivered the emotional farewell at Ball Arena during ONE 168. In his tenure with ONE, Johnson not only won the promotion’s bantamweight Grand Prix but also claimed the bantamweight title.
At 38, Johnson concludes his illustrious MMA career with a 25-4-1 record and as ONE Championship’s first-ever Hall of Fame inductee.
Johnson made history as the UFC’s inaugural flyweight champion, dominating the 125-pound division for nearly six years before losing the title to Henry Cejudo in 2018. The rematch saw Cejudo avenge his 2016 loss, where Johnson had previously stopped the former Olympian in the first round. Following this loss, Johnson was traded to ONE Championship for welterweight champion Ben Askren in a landmark deal.
The trade significantly impacted both fighters’ careers. Johnson experienced his only stoppage loss against Adriano Moraes in April 2021 but came back to defeat Moraes in a 2022 rematch and again in 2023. In contrast, Askren’s MMA career ended after three UFC fights, including a knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal and a submission defeat to Demian Maia. Askren’s subsequent boxing match against Jake Paul in April 2021 ended with another knockout loss. Since then, Askren has not competed in combat sports.
While there were rumors of a potential fight between Johnson and UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja, these proved to be unfounded speculations.
Reflecting on Johnson’s career, which began as an amateur in 2006, here are some of his notable achievements:
- First-Ever UFC Flyweight Champion: Johnson claimed the title in 2012 by defeating Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152, and later knocked out Benavidez in their rematch.
- Longest-Reigning UFC Champion: Johnson’s reign lasted 2,142 days, the longest in UFC history, highlighted by his record-setting 11 consecutive title defenses.
- Iconic Submission Victory: His 2017 submission win over Ray Borg, known as the “Mouse Trap,” is often cited as one of the greatest moments in MMA.
- ONE Championship Flyweight Grand Prix Winner (2019): Johnson solidified his legacy by winning the ONE Flyweight Grand Prix and becoming the only fighter to hold world titles in both the UFC and ONE Championship.
