Demetrious Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Demetrious Johnson |
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Johnson in 2024
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| Born | Demetrious Khrisna Johnson August 13, 1986 Madisonville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Nickname(s) | Mighty Mouse |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) |
| Weight | 136 lb (62 kg; 9 st 10 lb) |
| Division | Bantamweight (2007–2011, 2019–2024) Flyweight (2012–2018) Featherweight (grappling, 2023-present) |
| Reach | 66 in (168 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Parkland, Washington, U.S. |
| Team | AMC Pankration Evolve MMA |
| Trainer | Matt Hume Brad Kertson |
| Rank | Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Bibiano Fernandes and Yan McCane |
| Years active | 2006–2023 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 30 |
| Wins | 25 |
| By knockout | 5 |
| By submission | 8 |
| By decision | 12 |
| Losses | 4 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Amateur record | |
| Total | 9 |
| Wins | 9 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 5 |
| Other information | |
| University | Pierce College |
| Notable school(s) | Washington High School |
| Esports career | |
| Current team | |
| Team | Method Gaming |
| Game | World of Warcraft |
| Role | Damage dealer |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 2017–2024 |
| Handle | Mighty Mouse |
| Team history | |
| 2017 | Method Gaming |
Demetrious Khrisna Johnson (born August 13, 1986) is a famous American former professional mixed martial artist. He is often called "Mighty Mouse" because he is super fast and skilled. Many people think he is one of the best MMA fighters ever!
Demetrious used to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). There, he was the very first UFC Flyweight Champion. He defended his title an amazing 11 times in a row! This is a record that no one else has beaten in the UFC.
Later, he joined ONE Championship. He became the ONE Flyweight Champion there too. He also won the 2019 ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix. Demetrious has a great record with many wins in his career.
Contents
Growing Up
Demetrious Johnson was born in Kentucky. He grew up in Parkland, Washington. He went to Washington High School. He was a fantastic athlete in school.
He was great at wrestling, track, and cross country. In wrestling, he finished 3rd and 2nd in the state championships. He did track and cross country to get better at wrestling. He even competed in the State Championships for those sports.
Demetrious got offers for wrestling scholarships. But he wanted to stay close to his family. So, he went to Pierce College for two years. He also worked while studying.
His MMA Journey
Starting Out
Demetrious first started training in mixed martial arts (MMA) just for fun. He trained for two years. Then, he was invited to AMC Pankration. There, he met Matt Hume, a famous MMA trainer. Matt Hume had been watching Demetrious. He helped Demetrious make his MMA debut.
Demetrious started his amateur career in 2006. He won his first fight by knockout in the first round. He then won his next 8 fights. Five of those wins were by submission. His amateur record ended up being 9 wins and 0 losses.
After turning professional, Demetrious fought in Alaska. He won by a head kick knockout. This win helped him get a deal with the WEC.
Fighting in the WEC
Demetrious first fought in the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) in 2010. He competed in the bantamweight division. His first fight was against Brad Pickett. Demetrious showed good kickboxing skills. But he lost the fight by decision.
Many people, like commentator Joe Rogan, thought Demetrious was small for a bantamweight. They believed he would be amazing if the WEC added a lighter "flyweight" division.
Demetrious then won his next two fights in the WEC. He beat Nick Pace by decision. Then, he submitted Damacio Page with a guillotine choke. He said he was "the shark that came up and got him from underneath."
Joining the UFC
Bantamweight Fights
In 2010, the WEC joined with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). All WEC fighters moved to the UFC. Demetrious made his UFC debut in 2011. He won his first two fights against tough opponents. He beat Norifumi Yamamoto and Miguel Torres. He even broke his leg early in the fight against Torres. But he still won!
In October 2011, Demetrious fought Dominick Cruz. This was for the UFC bantamweight title. Demetrious lost this fight by decision. After this, the UFC decided to create a new, lighter division: the flyweight division.
Demetrious joined a special tournament. The winner would become the first-ever UFC Flyweight Champion. He had a draw in his first tournament fight against Ian McCall. They had a rematch, and Demetrious won. This sent him to the finals.
UFC Flyweight Champion
On September 22, 2012, Demetrious fought Joseph Benavidez in the tournament finals. He won by a close decision. This made him the first UFC Flyweight Champion!
He then defended his title many times. He beat John Dodson in a tough fight. He submitted John Moraga with an armbar in the last round. He also knocked out Joseph Benavidez in their rematch. This was the first time Benavidez had ever been stopped in a fight.
Demetrious continued to defend his title. He beat Ali Bagautinov and Chris Cariaso. Against Cariaso, he used a special move called a kimura. This was the first time a kimura ended a UFC championship fight.
He also beat Kyoji Horiguchi with an armbar. This submission happened with only one second left in the final round! It was the latest finish in UFC history. He then beat John Dodson again.
In 2016, Demetrious faced Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo. He won by TKO in the first round. He also beat Tim Elliott and Wilson Reis. With the win over Reis, he tied Anderson Silva's record. Both had 10 straight title defenses in the UFC.
In 2017, Demetrious won an ESPY Award for Fighter of The Year. He then fought Ray Borg. He won this fight with an amazing move. He threw Borg with a suplex and immediately locked in an armbar. This happened in the fifth round. This win set a new record: 11 successful title defenses! No one else in the UFC has done this. Many people called this the "Submission of the Year."
His amazing reign as champion ended at UFC 227 in 2018. He had a rematch with Henry Cejudo. Demetrious lost the fight by a very close decision.
Moving to ONE Championship
In 2018, Demetrious made a big move. He was traded to ONE Championship. This was a unique trade for another fighter, Ben Askren.
ONE Flyweight Grand Prix
Demetrious joined the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix. This was a tournament to find the best flyweight. In his first fight in ONE Championship, he submitted Yuya Wakamatsu.
He then beat Tatsumitsu Wada in the semifinals. In the finals, he faced Danny Kingad. Demetrious won by decision. This made him the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion.
Becoming ONE Flyweight Champion
After winning the Grand Prix, Demetrious earned a shot at the ONE Flyweight Championship. He fought Adriano Moraes in 2021. Demetrious lost this fight by knockout.
They had a rematch in 2022. Demetrious won by a spectacular flying knee knockout! This made him the ONE Flyweight Champion. He defended his title against Moraes in their third fight in 2023. He won by decision.
Demetrious Johnson announced his retirement from fighting on September 6, 2024. After his speech, he was the first person ever to be put into the ONE Hall of Fame.
Special Fight with Rodtang
In 2022, Demetrious had a very special fight. He fought Rodtang Jitmuangnon, a top Muay Thai fighter. This fight had unique rules. Rounds 1 and 3 were Muay Thai rules. Rounds 2 and 4 were MMA rules. Demetrious won in the second round by submission.
Grappling Career
Even after his MMA career, Demetrious continued to compete. He is also very skilled in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
In 2023, he competed in a big Jiu-Jitsu tournament. He won a gold medal in his division! In 2024, he won another gold medal and a silver medal at a different championship. He plans to compete as a black belt in the future.
Fighting Style
Many experts call Demetrious Johnson one of the greatest mixed martial artists. He is known for being incredibly fast. His main background is in wrestling. He uses his wrestling to control where the fight happens. He can take opponents down many times in a fight.
Besides wrestling, he is known for his quick punches and kicks. He can hit opponents fast and then move away quickly. He is also good at hitting back when his opponent attacks. When he is close to an opponent, he uses Muay Thai moves like elbows and knees.
Demetrious also learned a style called catch wrestling from his coach Matt Hume. This helped him do amazing moves. For example, he used a suplex right into an armlock against Ray Borg. He also used a "kimura" submission against Chris Cariaso.
He loves to learn new things. He often trains with other top athletes to improve his skills.
Personal Life
Demetrious Johnson had a challenging childhood. His mother is deaf. He met his biological father for the first time in 2017. They now have a good relationship.
He says his wife, Destiny Johnson, is very important to him. They got married in Hawaii in 2012. They have two sons, Tyron and Maverick, and a daughter.
Demetrious is also a big gamer! He streams his gaming online on YouTube under the name Mighty.
Achievements
Mixed Martial Arts
- ONE Championship
- ONE Hall of Fame (First person to be inducted!)
- ONE Flyweight Championship (Won it once, former champion)
- Defended his title one time
- 2019 ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion (Won the tournament)
- Performance of the Night (One time)
- 2022 MMA Knockout of the Year (for his flying knee knockout)
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Flyweight Championship (Won it once, was the first champion)
- Defended his title eleven times
- Most consecutive title defenses in UFC history (11 times)
- Most consecutive title defenses in the UFC flyweight division (11 times)
- Most wins in UFC flyweight title fights (12 wins)
- Most submissions in UFC title fights (5 submissions)
- Defended his title eleven times
- UFC Flyweight Championship Tournament Winner (Won the tournament to become champion)
- Fight of the Night (Three times)
- Knockout of the Night (One time)
- Submission of the Night (One time)
- Performance of the Night (Four times)
- Most post-fight bonuses in UFC Flyweight division history (9 bonuses)
- Most consecutive wins in UFC Flyweight division history (13 wins in a row)
- Tied for fourth longest win streak in UFC history (13 wins)
- Tied for most wins in UFC Flyweight division history (13 wins)
- Tied for most finishes in UFC Flyweight division history (7 finishes)
- Tied for most submission wins in UFC Flyweight division history (5 submissions)
- Second most takedowns landed in UFC Flyweight division history (58 takedowns)
- Tied for most armbar submission wins in UFC history (4 armbars)
- Latest submission in UFC history (4:59 in Round 5 against Kyoji Horiguchi)
- UFC Flyweight Championship (Won it once, was the first champion)
- Awards from other groups
- MMAJunkie.com: 2015 April Submission of the Month, 2022 August Knockout of the Month
- Inside MMA: 2012 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year
- Sherdog: 2017 Submission of the Year
- ESPY Awards: 2017 Fighter of The Year
- FoxSports.com: 2013 Fighter of the Year
- Fight Matrix: 2013 Male Fighter of the Year
- MMA Mania.com: 2017 Submission of the Year
- Bleacher Report: 2017 Fighter of the Year, 2017 Submission of the Year
- ESPN: 2017 Submission of the Year
- Pundit Arena: 2017 Submission of the Year
- MMA Fighting: 2017 Submission of the Year
- Bloody Elbow: 2017 Submission of the Year, 2017 Best Fighter of the Year
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter: 2017 Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year
- World MMA Awards: 2017 Submission of the Year
Mixed Martial Arts Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 30 matches | 25 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 5 | 1 |
| By submission | 8 | 0 |
| By decision | 12 | 3 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 25–4–1 | Adriano Moraes | Decision (unanimous) | ONE Fight Night 10 | May 5, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | Defended the ONE Flyweight Championship (135 lb). |
| Win | 24–4–1 | Adriano Moraes | KO (flying knee) | ONE on Prime Video 1 | August 27, 2022 | 4 | 3:50 | Kallang, Singapore | Won the ONE Flyweight Championship (135 lb). Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 23–4–1 | Adriano Moraes | KO (knee) | ONE on TNT 1 | April 7, 2021 | 2 | 2:24 | Kallang, Singapore | For the ONE Flyweight Championship (135 lb). |
| Win | 23–3–1 | Danny Kingad | Decision (unanimous) | ONE: Century – Part 1 | October 13, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | Won the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix. |
| Win | 22–3–1 | Tatsumitsu Wada | Decision (unanimous) | ONE: Dawn of Heroes | August 2, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Pasay, Philippines | ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Semifinal. |
| Win | 21–3–1 | Yuya Wakamatsu | Submission (guillotine choke) | ONE: A New Era | March 31, 2019 | 2 | 2:40 | Tokyo, Japan | Return to Bantamweight. ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal. |
| Loss | 20–3–1 | Henry Cejudo | Decision (split) | UFC 227 | August 4, 2018 | 5 | 5:00 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Lost the UFC Flyweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 20–2–1 | Ray Borg | Submission (armbar) | UFC 216 | October 7, 2017 | 5 | 3:15 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. Performance of the Night. Submission of the Year. Broke the UFC record for the most consecutive title defenses (11) |
| Win | 19–2–1 | Wilson Reis | Submission (armbar) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis | April 15, 2017 | 3 | 4:49 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 18–2–1 | Tim Elliott | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions Finale | December 3, 2016 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 17–2–1 | Henry Cejudo | TKO (knees to the body) | UFC 197 | April 23, 2016 | 1 | 2:49 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 16–2–1 | John Dodson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 191 | September 5, 2015 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 15–2–1 | Kyoji Horiguchi | Submission (armbar) | UFC 186 | April 25, 2015 | 5 | 4:59 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. Performance of the Night. Tied latest finish in UFC history. |
| Win | 14–2–1 | Chris Cariaso | Submission (kimura) | UFC 178 | September 27, 2014 | 2 | 2:29 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 13–2–1 | Ali Bagautinov | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 174 | June 14, 2014 | 5 | 5:00 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 12–2–1 | Joseph Benavidez | KO (punches) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2 | December 14, 2013 | 1 | 2:08 | Sacramento, California, United States | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. Knockout of the Night. |
| Win | 11–2–1 | John Moraga | Submission (armbar) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Moraga | July 27, 2013 | 5 | 3:43 | Seattle, Washington, United States | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 10–2–1 | John Dodson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson | January 26, 2013 | 5 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Defended the UFC Flyweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 9–2–1 | Joseph Benavidez | Decision (split) | UFC 152 | September 22, 2012 | 5 | 5:00 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Won the UFC Flyweight Tournament and the inaugural UFC Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 8–2–1 | Ian McCall | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall | June 8, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Sunrise, Florida, United States | UFC Flyweight Tournament Semifinal. |
| Draw | 7–2–1 | Ian McCall | Draw (majority) | UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann | March 3, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Sydney, Australia | Flyweight debut. UFC Flyweight Tournament Semifinal. Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 7–2 | Dominick Cruz | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson | October 1, 2011 | 5 | 5:00 | Washington, D.C., United States | For the UFC Bantamweight Championship. |
| Win | 7–1 | Miguel Torres | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 130 | May 28, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 6–1 | Norifumi Yamamoto | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 126 | February 5, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 5–1 | Damacio Page | Submission (guillotine choke) | WEC 52 | November 11, 2010 | 3 | 2:27 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 4–1 | Nick Pace | Decision (unanimous) | WEC 51 | September 30, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | |
| Loss | 3–1 | Brad Pickett | Decision (unanimous) | WEC 48 | April 24, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Sacramento, California, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Jesse Brock | KO (head kick) | AFC 68 | February 10, 2010 | 1 | 1:06 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Marshall Carlyle | TKO (punches) | AFC 67 | January 13, 2010 | 2 | 0:51 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Frankie Mendez | Submission (rear-naked choke) | KOTC: Thunderstruck | August 15, 2009 | 1 | 4:38 | Everett, Washington, United States |
Special Rules Record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 1 match | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Rodtang Jitmuangnon | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | ONE: X | March 26, 2022 | 2 | 2:13 | Kallang, Singapore | This fight had special rules, mixing Muay Thai and MMA rounds. |
See also
In Spanish: Demetrious Johnson para niños
- List of current ONE fighters
- List of male mixed martial artists
- List of UFC champions
