Demetrious Johnson has officially announced his retirement.
The legendary UFC fighter and former ONE FC flyweight champion revealed his retirement from MMA during ONE FC 168 in Denver, California, on Friday night, at the age of 38.
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In his heartfelt retirement speech, he expressed, « First off, I want to thank the fans. You have always been amazing to me and allowed me to pursue my passion for martial arts. »
« Thank you to all my teammates from 2006 to 2024. »
Overcome with emotion, Johnson shed tears while thanking his coach, Matt Hume, and his family.
« Thank you to Matt, » he cried. « Thank you to my wife, my children, my father-in-law, and my mother-in-law. F***, keep it together, dog. »
« Thank you to all of you; you’ve made me a better person and athlete. Thank you to my wife for always encouraging me to follow my dreams, and to ONE Championship, the staff, the competition team, and the social media team. Thank you to Chatri [Sityodtong] for giving me the platform to showcase my martial arts. »
« As I said last time I was in Denver, I hinted it might be my last fight, and I wasn’t kidding. I am done. I am finished competing in mixed martial arts, and I want to extend my gratitude for every opportunity you’ve given me. »
« And a special thank you to my dad, who has been an incredible part of my life for the past eight years. »
« To my children, I love you all. You can achieve anything you set your minds to. And to my wife, I love you. »
Johnson, recognized as the UFC’s first and longest reigning flyweight champion, is often hailed as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. His achievements place him among the legends like Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, and Conor McGregor.
Johnson won the UFC flyweight title by defeating Joseph Benavidez in the 2012 tournament final and went on to dominate the 125-pound division for an impressive 2,142 days.
During his reign, he set records for the most consecutive title defenses (11), the most submissions in title fights (5), and the longest winning streak in UFC flyweight history (13).
He also defeated several all-time greats, such as Henry Cejudo, Kyoji Horiguchi, and Adriano Moraes (twice).
Johnson concluded his career as the ONE FC flyweight champion, triumphing over Moraes in consecutive matches.
His final fight took place in May 2023, where he secured a unanimous decision victory in their rubber match at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
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