Demetrius Johnson (36, USA) does not intend to be satisfied with being the ‘greatest fighter in the history of mixed martial arts flyweight division’. He wants to be recognized as GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) across all weight classes.
Johnson said in an interview posted on the official website of Asia’s largest organization ‘ONE Championship’, “I still think (my skills) are getting better.”
From 2012 to 2017, Johnson won 12 consecutive UFC championships, establishing himself as the strongest fighter in mixed martial arts flyweight history. In August of last year, he also topped the One Championship.
I’m still warming up as a fighter,” Johnson said. (Having more potential) is what separates me from the other legends on the list of ‘The Greatest Fighters in the History of Mixed Martial Arts’.”
In April 2021, Johnson participated as a challenger at the age of 34 years, 7 months and 26 days, and was KOed in 2 minutes and 24 seconds of the second round by a knee kick from champion Adriano Morais (34, Brazil) in the One Championship title match. 안전놀이터
Johnson did not decide piecemeal that the game was decided by a blowout. He concluded that ▲ play efficiency ▲ stamina and conditioning ▲ grappling needs to be improved for strong pressure, and tried to acquire ground skills worthy of a black belt at a jiu-jitsu specialized academy.
When Johnson received his Jiu-Jitsu brown belt in 2018, Morais was already a black belt. Johnson also won the second match in August 2022 by KO by knee kick, but it was a possible victory because he raised his grappling level enough to engage in a tight battle with Morais and arranged his stamina.
Johnson’s improvement in ground perfection in the process of becoming a One Championship champion at the age of 36 years and 15 days is clearly noticeable among mixed martial arts legends.
▲José Audu (Featherweight) 2014: 28 years 1 month 17 days ▲Dominic Cruz (Bantamweight) 2016: 31 years 2 months 27 days ▲John Jones (Light Heavyweight) 2019: 32 years 1 month 1 day ▲Habif Nurmago Medov (Lightweight) 2020: 32 years 1 month 5 days ▲ Emelyanenko Fyodor (Heavyweight) 2009: 33 years 1 month 11 days, etc. Comparing to the time of the last match of the strongest ever in other weight classes, it becomes clearer.
In May, at the age of 36 years, 8 months and 23 days, Johnson will make his first defense of the One Championship title against Morais. ▲George Saint-Pierre (Welterweight) 2017: 36 years, 5 months, 17 days ▲Andersson Silva (Middleweight) 2012: 37 years, 6 months It’s a game you have to win.