Demetrious Johnson Announces Retirement from MMA

Flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson has formally announced his retirement from mixed martial arts (MMA) during ONE 168. At the age of 38, an emotional Johnson bid farewell to the sport as he was honored as the inaugural inductee into ONE Championship‘s Hall of Fame.

Johnson leaves the competitive arena with an impressive professional record of 25 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw. His last bout was a victory against Adriano Moraes, where he emerged successful by unanimous decision in May 2023.

Johnson is renowned as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, particularly celebrated for his accomplishments in the flyweight division. He made his professional debut in 2009 and joined the UFC in 2011. Within a year, he became the inaugural UFC flyweight champion by defeating Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez.

During his time in the UFC, Johnson established a remarkable record by defending his title successfully 11 times, surpassing Anderson Silva’s previous record. However, his title reign came to an end in August 2018, when he lost to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227.

After his departure from the UFC, which involved a trade that sent Ben Askren to the promotion, Johnson made his debut in ONE Championship in March 2019. He faced challenges and initially fell short in his quest for the flyweight title but managed to avenge his previous defeat in a remarkable fashion.

With Johnson’s retirement, the flyweight championship title now remains vacant, necessitating the need for a new champion in ONE Championship.