Demetrious Johnson has shared a crucial reason for his decision to retire from pro MMA competition.
Johnson is regarded as one of MMA’s all-time greats. He holds the record for the most successful consecutive UFC title defenses with 11. “Mighty Mouse’s” last pro MMA bout took place back in 2023 for ONE Championship, and he announced his retirement the following year.
While many felt Johnson still had some juice left in the tank, the once-dominant flyweight reveals there’s one major factor that led to his decision.
Why Did Demetrious Johnson Retire?
In a new video released by 1st Phorm, Demetrious Johnson said that his passion for the extracurricular activities of prizefighting waned to the point where he felt it was time to retire.
“I’ve always enjoyed the process of training and getting ready for fights,” Johnson said. “I love that, and that’s why I still do jiu-jitsu to this day. I love the process of getting ready to fight and compete. That will never go away.
“The thing that I fell out of love with was the politics. I was falling out of love with just preparing the press conference. I didn’t care about that, I didn’t care about being the best in the world anymore. There comes a point and time where I’m just like, ‘Is this it?’ That’s when I was like, ‘You know what? I think I’m done.'”
Johnson was recently called out by reigning UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja. While “Mighty Mouse” gave Pantoja his flowers, he said that fight won’t be happening because he’s sticking with his retirement. The general consensus is that Johnson has nothing left to prove, as he’s left behind a legacy as one of the greatest fighters to compete in MMA.
All that’s left now is a UFC Hall of Fame induction.