Is Demetrious Johnson retired? The MMA legend gives update on status of fighting career
Demetrious Johnson left the combat sports world on edge after his successful ONE Championship title defense in May.
Johnson (25-4-1), an MMA legend and one of the most successful champions in UFC history, revealed after his unanimous decision win over Adriano Moraes at ONE Fight Night 10 that he had thoughts of walking away from the sport of MMA.
Well, almost three months removed from those initial statements, Johnson gave an update in an interview with MMA Junkie Radio.
“It’s undecided yet, that’s a fair assessment to make right now,” Johnson explained.
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Although not much has changed since his initial comments, Johnson revealed that the door is very open for a return, it just comes down to having the right circumstances.
“It’s something that I have to be passionate about,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to do it just to do it. And for me, we just haven’t decided what’s next. Obviously, I’ve been busy with jiu-jitsu and that’s been driving me in training, but other than that, there’s nothing set in stone.”
Johnson said he has yet to speak to ONE Championship regarding the status of his career, but he expects conversations to get going in the coming months.
“Mighty Mouse” currently holds the ONE Championship flyweight title. He’s 5-1 since leaving the UFC in a historic deal in which he was traded for former ONE Championship welterweight champion Ben Askren back in late 2018.
Johnson, now 37 years old, is regarded by many as the greatest flyweight in the history of MMA. He also holds the record for the most consecutive title defenses in the UFC – which stands at 11.
