Demetrious Johnson announces his retirement, becomes first fighter inducted into ONE Championship's Hall of Fame
09/07/2024 12:45 AM
It is truly the end of an era in mixed martial arts as Demetrious Johnson announced his retirement from the sport during the ONE 168 card in Denver, Colorado.
Johnson last competed for the promotion in May 2023, defeating Adriano Moraes in the first trilogy bout of his career to retain the ONE flyweight MMA world championship. Returning to the same venue in Denver, Colorado, an emotional ‘Mighty Mouse’ announced to the world he was officially laying down his four-ounce gloves and leaving behind the sport he dominated for nearly two decades.
"Like I said last time when I came to Denver, Colo., I told you guys it was potentially my last fight, and I was not lying. I am done. I am done competing in mixed martial arts, and I want to thank you guys so much for giving me the opportunity," Johnson told the crowd.
In September 2012, Johnson defeated Joseph Benavidez to become the UFC’s first-ever flyweight world champion. He went on to defend the title an astonishing 11 consecutive times, a record that has never and may very well never be broken inside the Octagon. Along the way, he earned wins over John Dodson, Kyoji Horiguchi, Henry Cejudo, Tim Elliott, and Ray Borg.
Demetrious Johnson continued his flyweight dominance in oNE Championship
In 2018, Johnson made history once again, becoming the first fighter to ever be traded to another promotion. Mighty Mouse’ was dealt to ONE Championship in exchange for former ONE and Bellator titleholder Ben Askren.
Johnson immediately made waves in the Singapore-based promotion, scoring three straight wins to become the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix champion and punching his ticket to a title tilt with Adriano Moraes.
Johnson and Moraes would square off three times over the next two years with ‘DJ’ coming out top in the latter two to both win and retain the flyweight MMA crown. In between those fights, Johnson also competed in ONE Championship’s first-ever mixed-rules matchup against ‘The Iron Man’ Rodtang Jitmuangon.
Johnson won the bout in the second round via rear-naked choke after surviving an opening round contested under Muay Thai rules.
Before leaving the cage on Friday night, ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced that ‘Mighty Mouse’ would be the first-ever inductee into the ONE Championship Hall of Fame.
Johnson left with both his HoF statue and the flyweight title he was told to leave behind.
"They wanted me to leave the belt in here, I ain't doing that sh*t. I came into this sport as a champ, I'm leaving my black ass as a champ too," Johnson said.
