Demetrious Johnson (born August 13, 1986) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

. He currently competes in

ONE Championship ONE Championship (formerly ONE Fighting Championship) is a Singaporean combat sports promotion. Founded on 14 July 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong and former ESPN Star Sports senior executive Victor Cui, its events have featured mixed ...

, where he is the current ONE Flyweight Champion (135 lb). He is the inaugural and former UFC Flyweight Champion. Known for his quick striking and elusive movement, Johnson has also landed the most takedowns in UFC flyweight history and co-holds the record for the latest finish in UFC history with a submission win at 4:59 of the fifth round against

Kyoji Horiguchi is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator MMA and Rizin FF in the Flyweight division. He is the former bantamweight champion in both organizations. As of December 13, 2022, he is #6 in the Bellator Bantamweight Rankings ...

. He is the only UFC fighter to record over 10 takedowns in three different fights. Johnson also holds the record for most finishes in UFC flyweight history with 7. He is also the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion. Johnson is widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time.

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

, MMA Weekly, and various UFC personnel have called Johnson one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the world today.

Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

historically ranked Johnson as the #9-pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts and as the No. 2 flyweight. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time with many, including UFC Commentator

Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly ...

, considering him the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. He holds the UFC record for most consecutive title defenses at 11.

Early years

Born in Kentucky, Johnson grew up in

Parkland, Washington Parkland is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pierce County, Washington. The population was 35,803 at the time of the 2010 census and had grown to 38,623 as of the 2020 census. It is an unincorporated suburb of the city of Tacoma and is home t ...

where he attended Washington High School and was a stand-out athlete in track,

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

, and cross country. In wrestling, he placed 3rd and 2nd in the state in his junior and senior years. Although he only participated in track and cross country to improve his cardio for wrestling, he competed at the State Championships in both sports. Johnson did receive scholarship offers for wrestling but he did not want to leave his family behind. Ultimately, he did not take up any scholarship offers and instead attended

Pierce College Pierce College may refer to: * Pierce College (Washington) * Los Angeles Pierce College ** Pierce College station See also * Peirce College * Franklin Pierce University Franklin Pierce University is a private university in Rindge, New Hampshi ...

for two years while working on the side.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Johnson began his career in

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

(MMA) in 2007 and won his professional debut via first-round knockout. Johnson then appeared on multiple local shows and won his next 8 fights, including five in a row by submission. Johnson fought at the Alaska Fighting Championships in

Anchorage Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

and won via head kick KO, which earned him a deal with the WEC.

World Extreme Cagefighting

He made his

World Extreme Cagefighting World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts, mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC ...

debut at

bantamweight Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports. For boxing, the range is above and up to . In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between . In mixed martial arts, MMA, bantamweight is . The name for the class is derived from Ba ...

against

Brad Pickett Brad Pickett (born 24 September 1978) is an English former mixed martial artist. He is a former Cage Rage British Featherweight Champion. He competed as a bantamweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship; Dana White stated that Pickett was ...

on April 24, 2010, at

WEC 48 ''UFC Presents: Aldo vs. Faber'', also referred to as ''WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on April 24, 2010 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. This was WEC's first a ...

in Sacramento, California. Johnson showed good kickboxing throughout but was unable to defend the many takedowns executed by Pickett. Johnson lost via unanimous decision.

predicted during the fight that, should the WEC implement a flyweight division, Johnson would be highly effective, as he was a relatively small bantamweight. Johnson was expected to face Clint Godfrey on September 30, 2010, at

WEC 51 ''WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on September 30, 2010 at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. This was the only event that the WEC hosted in Colorado. Backgr ...

. However, Godfrey was forced off the card and replaced by WEC newcomer

Nick Pace Nick Pace (born April 17, 1987) is a former American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Bantamweight (MMA), bantamweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2008, Pace mostly fought in the Ring of C ...

. Johnson defeated Pace via unanimous decision, handing Pace his first MMA loss. Johnson defeated

Damacio Page Damacio James Page (born September 30, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing for Legacy Fighting Championship in the Bantamweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Page has also formerly competed ...

via third-round submission on November 11, 2010, at

WEC 52 ''WEC 52: Faber vs. Mizugaki'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on November 11, 2010 at The Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas. Background Urijah Faber made his bantamweight debut against Japanese striker Takeya Mi ...

. After Page controlled the action in the first round, Johnson was able to dictate the action for most of the second and third rounds before submitting Page via guillotine choke. Johnson later said, "He was basically drowning, and I was the shark that came up and got him from underneath."

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Bantamweight competition (2011–2012)

On October 28, 2010,

merged with the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. As part of the merger, all WEC fighters were transferred to the UFC. Johnson faced Japanese superstar

Norifumi Yamamoto was a Japanese mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competed in the bantamweight division of the UFC. He quickly gained popularity in the Shooto organization due to his aggressive, well-rounded style and controversial persona. He moved on to K ...

on February 5, 2011, at

UFC 126 ''UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 5, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background Former Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor B ...

in his UFC debut, Johnson won via unanimous decision. Johnson was scheduled to face

Renan Barão Renan Mota do Nascimento Pegado (born 31 January 1987), better known as Renan Barão, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and the former UFC Bantamweight Champion. He held one of the longest unbeaten streaks in MMA history - follo ...

on May 28, 2011, at

UFC 130 ''UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 28, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background This event was to be the third meeting between Frankie Edgar ...

. However, Johnson faced Miguel Torres after Torres's opponent, Brad Pickett, was forced off the card with an injury. Despite breaking his fibula early in the second round from a checked leg kick, Johnson used his superior wrestling to control Torres and won a 29–28 unanimous decision victory, even though he was swept into full mount a record-breaking 6 times during the fight. Johnson fought

Dominick Cruz Dominick Cruz (born March 9, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. Cruz ha ...

on October 1, 2011, at UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson for the UFC bantamweight title, losing by unanimous decision. Johnson was briefly linked to a bout with

Eddie Wineland Edward Alan Wineland Jr. (born June 26, 1984) is an American retired mixed martial artist, who competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2003 until 2022, Wineland was the in ...

on January 28, 2012, at the UFC's second event on Fox. However, Johnson was pulled from the bout to take part in a four-man

flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...

tournament to determine the UFC's first UFC Flyweight Champion. Johnson faced Ian McCall on March 3, 2012, in the first round of the Flyweight Tournament at

UFC on FX 2 ''UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann'' (also known as ''UFC on FX 2'') was a mixed martial arts event held live by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday March 3, 2012 at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Background ...

. This fight was the first flyweight bout in UFC history. The fight with McCall went all three rounds, was turned over to the judges' score cards and announced as a majority decision win for Johnson. Later, in the post-fight press conference, UFC president

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

announced that the athletic commission made a mistake when scoring the match and that officially the bout was scored a majority draw (28–28, 29–29, and 29–28 Johnson). A rematch with McCall took place on June 8, 2012, at UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall. Johnson won the fight via unanimous decision to progress to the final round of the tournament.

UFC Flyweight Champion (2012–2018)

Johnson faced

Joseph Benavidez Joseph Rolando Benavidez (born July 31, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Benavidez was born on July 31, 1984, in San An ...

in the finals of the UFC Flyweight Tournament on September 22, 2012, at

UFC 152 ''UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort '' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 22, 2012, at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background Rory MacDonald was expected to face fo ...

. Johnson defeated Benavidez via split decision (48–47, 47–48, and 49–46) to become the inaugural UFC Flyweight Champion. Johnson fought John Dodson on January 26, 2013, at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson. Johnson won the fight via unanimous decision (48–47, 49–46, and 48–47) in a bout that earned both participants ''Fight of the Night'' honors. Johnson was expected to face

John Moraga John Anthony Moraga (born March 20, 1984) is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who competes as a flyweight and featherweight in MMA and boxing, respectively. He is best known for his lengthy career Ultimate Fighting Champio ...

on April 13, 2013, at

The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen'' (also known as ''The Ultimate Fighter 17'') is the seventeenth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. The series ...

. However, Johnson was forced out of the bout with an injury, and Moraga was pulled from the event as well. The bout with Moraga eventually took place on July 27, 2013, at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Moraga, where Johnson was looking to defend his title for a second time. Johnson won via an armbar submission late in the fifth round. The win also earned Johnson his first ''Submission of the Night'' bonus award. A rematch with Joseph Benavidez was expected for November 30, 2013, at

The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate'' (also known as ''The Ultimate Fighter 18'') is the eighteenth U.S.-based installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)-produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. Th ...

. However, the bout was moved to December 14, 2013, at

UFC on Fox 9 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

after that event's headliner was postponed due to injury. Johnson won the rematch in emphatic fashion via knockout in the first round, becoming the first person to stop Benavidez. The win also earned Johnson his first ''Knockout of the Night'' bonus award. Johnson faced

Ali Bagautinov Ali Shamilevich Bagautinov (russian: Али Шами́льевич Багаутинов; born June 10, 1985 in Dagestan) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist of Dargin origin who competed in the Flyweight division of the Ultima ...

on June 14, 2014, at

UFC 174 ''UFC 174: Johnson vs. Bagautinov'' was a mixed martial arts event that took place on June 14, 2014, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Flyweight Championship bout between the curre ...

. He successfully defended his title for a fourth time, winning by unanimous decision. Subsequent to his win, on July 10, the British Columbia Athletic Commission (BCAC) announced that Bagautinov tested positive for

erythropoietin Erythropoietin (; EPO), also known as erythropoetin, haematopoietin, or haemopoietin, is a glycoprotein cytokine secreted mainly by the kidneys in response to cellular hypoxia; it stimulates red blood cell production (erythropoiesis) in the bo ...

(EPO) prior to the title fight. In response, the BCAC suspended Bagautinov from mixed martial arts competition for one year. A bout with

Chris Cariaso Chris Vincent Cariaso (born May 27, 1981) is a retired Filipino-American mixed martial artist who competed as a Flyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Personal Cariaso is of Filipino descent. Mixed martial arts career Since turning pr ...

was expected on August 30, 2014, at

UFC 177 ''UFC 177: Dillashaw vs. Soto'' was a mixed martial arts event held on August 30, 2014, at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California. Background The event was originally planned to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev ...

. However, the bout was shifted to September 27, 2014, at

UFC 178 ''UFC 178: Johnson vs. Cariaso'' was a mixed martial arts event held on September 27, 2014, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was supposed to be headlined by a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship rematch bet ...

after that event's headliner was cancelled due to injury. Johnson won the fight via submission due to a kimura in the second round. This marked Johnson's fifth title defense and the first time that a kimura was used to end a fight in a UFC championship title bout. Johnson faced

UFC 186 ''UFC 186: Johnson vs. Horiguchi'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 25, 2015, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Background The event was the seventh event that the UFC has hosted in Montreal, Quebec. The event was expec ...

, winning the one-sided fight via an armbar submission at 4:59 of the fifth round, resulting in the latest finish in UFC history. This win also secured Johnson a ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. A rematch with John Dodson took place on September 5, 2015, at

UFC 191 ''UFC 191: Johnson vs. Dodson 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on September 5, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background Initially, a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship bout between current champion Daniel Cormie ...

. In a largely one-sided affair, Johnson won the fight via unanimous decision. Johnson faced Olympic Gold Medalist

Henry Cejudo Henry Cejudo (born February 9, 1987) is an American professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and Freestyle wrestling, freestyle wrestler. He is the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) UFC Flyweight Championship, Flyweight Ch ...

on April 23, 2016, at

UFC 197 ''UFC 197: Jones vs. Saint Preux'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 23, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event's number was initially planned for an event taking place on March 5, 2016 at HSBC Are ...

. He won the fight via TKO in the first round after dropping Cejudo with a variety of strikes. The win earned Johnson his second ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Johnson next faced

Tim Elliott Timothy Samuel Elliott (born December 24, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Flyweight (MMA), Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the former Titan FC Titan Fighting Champions ...

on December 3, 2016, at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale. Despite being a heavy favorite, Johnson was taken down for the first time as a flyweight and nearly submitted with a d'arce choke in the first round. He went on to win the remaining rounds, and defended the Championship via a decisive unanimous decision. Johnson faced

Wilson Reis Wilson Reis Monte Alto Gonçalves (born January 6, 1985, in Januária) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division. Reis is the former EliteXC Bantamweight Champion and has also competed for UFC, Bellator, ShoXC a ...

on April 15, 2017, at

UFC on Fox 24 ''UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 24'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 15, 2017, at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Background The event was the f ...

. He won by armbar submission in the third round and subsequently received a Performance of the Night bonus. With the win, Johnson tied

Anderson Silva Anderson da Silva (; born 14 April 1975) is a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and boxer. He is a former UFC Middleweight Champion and holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. This started in 2006 and ...

for most consecutive title defenses (ten) in UFC history. In July 2017, Johnson won an

ESPY Award An ESPY Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC, and previously ESPN (as of the 2017 ESPY Awards the latter still airs them in the form ...

for Fighter of The Year. Johnson was briefly linked to an August 2017 fight with

T.J. Dillashaw Tyler Jeffrey Dillashaw (born February 7, 1986) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. Dillashaw competed on ...

. He was scheduled to face

Ray Borg Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gra ...

on September 9, 2017, at

UFC 215 ''UFC 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on September 9, 2017 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Background The promotion was initially planning a PPV event ...

. In turn, the fight was canceled a day before the event, as Borg was forced to withdraw from the fight on Thursday evening due to illness. According to multiple sources, Borg has been battling an illness that week and was deemed unfit to fight by UFC doctors. The bout was quickly rescheduled and took place at

UFC 216 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. Johnson won the fight via suplex-to-armbar in the fifth round. This win earned him the

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

award and set the 11th successful title defense record, surpassing former middleweight champion Anderson Silva's record of 10 in the UFC. Johnson's win was called the best submission of the year from publications such as Sherdog, MMA Mania.com, and The MAC Life. Johnson faced Cejudo in a rematch at

UFC 227 ''UFC 227: Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt 2'' was a mixed martial arts event that was produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and held on August 4, 2018, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Background A UFC Bantamweight Championsh ...

on August 4, 2018 for the

UFC Flyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

title. After a record 11 consecutive successful title defenses, Johnson's championship reign came to an end via a split decision loss to Cejudo. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award. 13 of 25 media outlets scored the bout in favor of Cejudo, while 12 scored it for Johnson.

ONE Championship

On October 27, 2018, Johnson was traded to ONE Championship for former ONE Welterweight Champion

Ben Askren Benjamin Michael Askren (born July 18, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler. Askren was the former Bellator and ONE Welterweight Champion, remaining undefeated for over a decade before competing in ...

. Johnson was expected to make his promotional debut in the first quarter of 2019.

ONE Flyweight Grand Prix

On November 7, 2018, it was announced that Johnson would be one of eight participants in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix. On December 19, 2018, it was announced that Johnson will be facing Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE Championship: A New Era on March 31, 2019, in the promotion's inaugural event in Japan. In his ONE Championship debut, Johnson defeated Yuya Wakamatsu via a guillotine choke submission in the second round. Johnson's second ONE Championship fight took place at ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes on August 2, 2019. He faced Tatsumitsu Wada in the semi-finals of the ONE Flyweight Grand Prix and won the fight by unanimous decision to advance to the finals. Johnson then faced Danny Kingad at ONE Championship: Century in the finals of the ONE Championship Flyweight Grand-Prix on October 12, 2019. He defeated Kingad in a dominant unanimous decision victory and became the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion.

ONE Flyweight title shot

After claiming the Grand Prix victory, Johnson was set to challenge ONE Flyweight Champion Adriano Moraes at

Infinity 1 "∞1" (read "Infinity Ichi"; translated as "Infinity 1") is Do As Infinity's twenty-first single, released on June 17, 2009. The band had disbanded in September 2005, but reformed three years later in September 2008. This is the first new single ...

. The fight was postponed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. Johnson faced Moraes at ONE on TNT 1 on April 7, 2021. The event was held at the

Singapore Indoor Stadium The Singapore Indoor Stadium, known exonymously as the Indoor Stadium, is an indoor arena located in Kallang, Singapore. It is within walking distance of the Singapore National Stadium, and collectively form a part of the wider Singapore Spor ...

Kallang Kallang is a planning area and residential town located in the Central Region of Singapore. Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the longest river in Singapore. Kallang Planning Area is bounded by Toa Payoh in the no ...

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

and was broadcast on

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

during US

prime time Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

. He lost the bout via KO in round two by a knee and punches.

Special-rules fight with Rodtang Jitmuangnon

On September 15, 2021, it was announced that Johnson would fight

Rodtang Jitmuangnon Rodtang Jitmuangnon ( th, รถถัง จิตรเมืองนนท์; born July 23, 1997) is a Thai Muay Thai fighter. He currently competes in ONE Championship and is the reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion. Jitmuangn ...

, the reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion and considered by many to be the current best pound-for-pound Muay Thai fighter. The fight will be contested under special rules, with rounds 1 and 3 being fought under the ONE Muay Thai ruleset, and rounds 2 and 4 being fought under the ONE MMA ruleset. However, due to the pandemic shutdowns, the event was rescheduled for ONE: X on March 26, 2022. Johnson won the bout via a rear-naked choke submission in the second round.

Second ONE Flyweight title shot

On June 2, 2022, it was reported that Johnson would rematch Adriano Moraes for the ONE Flyweight Championship at

ONE on Prime Video 1 ONE on Prime Video refers to ONE Championship events broadcast live on Amazon Prime during prime time hours in the United States and Canada. Background The debut event of the series featured the ONE Flyweight World Championship rematch between ...

. Johnson would go on to defeat Moraes by knockout via a flying knee in the fourth round to capture the ONE Flyweight Championship. This win earned him the ''

'' award. The trilogy bout between Johnson and Moraes is scheduled on May 5, 2023, at

ONE on Prime Video 10 ''ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes 3'' is an upcoming Combat sport event produced by ONE Championship that will take place on May 5, 2023, at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado, United States. Background The event will mark the ...

Fighting style

UFC commentator Joe Rogan, UFC president Dana White, ''ESPN.com'', and other media outlets have called Johnson the greatest mixed martial artist in the world. Known as one of the fastest fighters in MMA, Johnson's martial arts background is in

, which he uses effectively to control where the fight takes place and land numerous takedowns in a single match when necessary. In addition to his

base, Johnson is also recognized for quick striking and elusive movement. He is noted for his ability to land fast punches and kicks to the head or body, then quickly escape an opponent's reach. He is also known for his ability to counterstrike while standing within the pocket. During upperbody clinches, Johnson has also utilized the

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

plum while mixing in a series of elbows and knees. To complement his traditional wrestling base Johnson is also schooled in

Catch wrestling Catch wrestling (originally catch-as-catch-can) is a classical hybrid grappling style and combat sport. It was developed by J. G. Chambers in Britain . It was popularised by wrestlers of travelling funfairs who developed their own submission h ...

under his long-term coach

Matt Hume Matt Hume (born July 14, 1966) is an American mixed martial arts trainer and businessman. He is the founder and head trainer at AMC Pankration in Kirkland, WA, home to former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and ONE bantamweight champion ...

, as evident by his Catch style direct suplex-to-armlock transition against Ray Borg, and his Double wrist lock submission (aka Kimura) of Chris Cariaso.

Personal life

Johnson had a harsh childhood; he was raised by his deaf mother and an abusive stepfather. Johnson has never met his biological father, "I've never seen a picture of him, not a glimpse, nothing." The main thing that has helped him move on from his past is his wife, Destiny Johnson. He says "she is the best thing that has ever happened to me and without her, life would be incomplete." They were wed May 11, 2012, in Hawaii. They have two sons: Tyron born in 2013, and Maverick born April 15, 2015, and a daughter who was born in August 2018. Johnson is an avid gamer and streams his gaming via

Twitch Twitch may refer to: Biology * Muscle contraction ** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation ** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction ** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle con ...

with username mightygaming.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** ONE Flyweight Championship (One time, current) ** 2019 ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion **

(One time) *

(One time, inaugural) ***Eleven successful title defenses ** UFC Flyweight Championship Tournament Winner ** Fight of the Night (Three times) ** Knockout of the Night (One time) ** Submission of the Night (One time) **

(Four times) **Most consecutive wins in the UFC flyweight division (13) **Most UFC flyweight title fights (13) **Most wins in UFC flyweight title fights (12) **Third most wins in UFC title fights (12) **Most consecutive title defenses in UFC flyweight division (11) **Most consecutive title defenses in UFC history (11) **Most successful title defenses in UFC history (11) **Second fighter on UFC roster to be awarded Bonus payments in all four possible categories (Fight, Knockout, Performance & Submission of the Night awards) *

MMAJunkie.com MMA Junkie is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was founded in 2006, and is owned by Gannett Company since 2011. The site and its content have been featured in ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine'', ''ESPN The Ma ...

**2015 April Submission of the Month **2022 August Knockout of the Month *

Inside MMA ''Inside MMA'' was a live mixed martial arts news magazine, which aired on AXS TV, immediately following the network's live AXS TV Fights broadcasts. Hosted by Mauro Ranallo and UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten, the series provided an in-depth look ...

**2012 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year *

**2013 All-Violence First Team **2017 Submission of the Year **Current No. 1 Pound for Pound Fighter *

s ** 2017 Fighter of The Year * FoxSports.com **2013 Fighter of the Year *

Fight Matrix Fight Matrix , MMA Rankings, Records, Statistics is an independent, comprehensive, mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter ranking system portal. It is one of the sport's most recognized ranking websites. According to FightMatrix: "The rankings on thi ...

**2013 Male Fighter of the Year *MMA Mania.com **UFC/MMA 'Fighter of the Year' 2017 – Top 5 List No. 3 **UFC/MMA 'Submission of the Year' 2017 – Top 5 List No. 1 vs.

Bleacher Report Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London. Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in Aug ...

** 2017 Fighter of the Year ** 2017 Submission of the Year vs.

** 2017 Submission of the Year vs.

* Pundit Arena ** 2017 Submission of the Year vs.

* MMA Fighting ** 2017 Submission of the Year vs.

* Bloody Elbow ** 2017 Submission of the Year vs.

** 2017 Best Fighter of the Year *

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four We ...

** 2017 Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year *

World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...

** 2017 Submission of the Year vs.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 31–4–1 , Adriano Moraes , KO (flying knee) ,

, , align=center, 4 , align=center, 3:50 ,

, Singapore , , - , Loss , align=center, 30–4–1 , Adriano Moraes , KO (knee) , ONE on TNT 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:24 ,

, Singapore , , - , Win , align=center, 30–3–1 , Danny Kingad , Decision (unanimous) , ONE Championship: Century Part 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 29–3–1 , Tatsumitsu Wada , Decision (unanimous) , ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, i ...

, Philippines , , - , Win , align=center, 28–3–1 , Yuya Wakamatsu , Submission (guillotine choke) , ONE Championship: A New Era , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:40 ,

, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 27–3–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 27–2–1 ,

, Submission (armbar) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 3:15 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 26–2–1 ,

, Submission (armbar) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:49 ,

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 25–2–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions Finale , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 24–2–1 ,

, TKO (knees to the body) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:49 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–2–1 , John Dodson , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–2–1 ,

, Submission (armbar) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 4:59 ,

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...

, Canada , . , - , Win , align=center, 21–2–1 ,

, Submission (kimura) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:29 ,

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–2–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 19–2–1 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Benavidez 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:08 ,

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–2–1 ,

, Submission (armbar) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Moraga , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 3:43 ,

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–2–1 , John Dodson , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–2–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 15–2–1 , Ian McCall , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on FX: Johnson vs. McCall , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Sunrise, Florida Sunrise is a city in central-western Broward County, Florida, United States, and is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 97,335. Sunrise was incorporated in 1961 and founded ...

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, , Ian McCall , Draw (majority) , UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–1 , Miguel Torres , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:27 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Broomfield, Colorado Broomfield is a consolidated city and county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. Broomfield has a consolidated government which operates under Article XX, Sections 10-13 of the Constitution of the State of Colorado. The Broomfield populatio ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Jesse Brock , KO (head kick) , AFC 68 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:06 ,

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Marshall Carlyle , (punches) , AFC 67 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:51 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Frankie Mendez , Submission (rear-naked choke) , KOTC: Thunderstruck , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:38 ,

Everett, Washington Everett is the county seat and largest city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett is the seventh-largest city in the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Louis Contreras , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Genesis: Rise of Kings , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Shoreline, Washington Shoreline is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is located between the city limits of Seattle and the Snohomish County border, approximately north of Downtown Seattle. As of the 2020 census, the population of Shoreline was 58 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Forrest Seabourn , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Genesis: Cold War , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Bellevue, Washington Bellevue ( ) is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, located across Lake Washington from Seattle. It is the third-largest city in the Seattle metropolitan area and has variously been characterized as a s ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Jose Garza , Submission (armbar) , AX FC 22: Last Man Standing , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:56 ,

Lynnwood, Washington Lynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The city is part of the Seattle metropolitan area and is located north of Seattle and south of Everett, near the junction of Interstate 5 and Interstate 405. It is the fou ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Louis Contreras , Submission (keylock) , USA MMA: Northwest Fighting Challenge 6 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

Tumwater, Washington Tumwater is a town in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,350 at the 2020 census. It is situated near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound; it also borders the state ca ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Eric Alvarez , Decision (unanimous) , AX FC 20: March Madness , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Jeff Bourgeois , Decision (unanimous) , AX FC 18: The Art of War , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Brandon Fields , (punch) , AX FC 16: Annihilation , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:17 ,

, United States , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Lupe Hudgens , Submission (rear-naked choke) , ROTR – Rumble on the Ridge , January 10, 2009 , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:07 ,

Snoqualmie, Washington Snoqualmie ( ) is a city next to Snoqualmie Falls in King County, Washington, United States. It is east of Seattle. Snoqualmie city is home to the Northwest Railway Museum. The population was 10,670 at the 2010 census and an estimated 13,62 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Oren Ulrich , (punches) , GF – Brawl at the Mall 3 , July 29, 2006 , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:29 ,

Auburn, Washington Auburn is a city in King County, Washington, United States (with a small portion crossing into neighboring Pierce County). The population was 87,256 at the 2020 Census. Auburn is a suburb in the Seattle metropolitan area, and is currently rank ...

, United States ,

Pay-per-view bouts

Mixed rules record

, - , Win , align=center, 1–0 ,

, Technical submission (rear-naked choke) , ONE: X , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:13 ,

, Singapore , , -

References

Notes

External links

*
Demetrious Johnson
at

ONE 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...