One of the all-time greats in the UFC has retired, with Demetrious Johnson announcing that he is leaving the sport as a ‘champ’.
Demetrious Johnson Retires
Demetrious Johnson will no doubt be inducted into the UFC hall of fame one day, as the 38-year-old is considered to be one of the best fighters to ever enter the Octagon.
Johnson successfully defended his flyweight title a total of 11 times before losing the belt in 2018, but his winning streak is one of the longest in UFC history.
After announcing his retirement, Johnson said he was happy to leave the sport as a champion having won his final bout in 2023 on home soil.
“They wanted me to leave the belt in here, but I ain’t doing that,” Johnson said. “I came into this sport a champ and I’m leaving as a champ too.”
Demetrious Johnson announced his retirement from MMA Friday night.
AN ABSOLUTE LEGEND 👏 pic.twitter.com/r34qiixxRg
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 7, 2024
Johnson has a UFC record of 27 wins, three losses and one draw, with ‘Mighty Mouse’ rounding off his career in 2018 at UFC 227 after a split decision loss to Henry Cejudo.
Despite leaving the UFC over five years ago, Johnson still holds countless records in the flyweight division including most wins, most finishes and longest win streak (13).
Dana White has responded to Johnson’s retirement over the weekend, despite having a frosty relationship with the former flyweight champion while he was in the UFC.
“If we can go back to when he was here [in the UFC], I was defending him from the fans,” White said.
“Who’s defended Demetrious Johnson more than me? Yeah, no, good for him. Incredible career he’s had. I’ve never had a problem with Demetrious Johnson. … Absolutely [we see him in the UFC Hall of Fame].”
White admitted in 2017 that Johnson’s PPV cards never drew in as much money as he would have liked, which is why fans have questioned his reaction to the flyweight star retiring.
