Demetrious Johnson inducted into ONE Hall of Fame

Demetrious Johnson officially brought the curtains down on his illustrious MMA run at ONE 168: Denver.  

“Mighty Mouse” emotionally bid farewell in front of a passionate crowd at Ball Arena last Friday, September 6. 

The night became even more memorable when ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong surprised Johnson. He enshrined him as the first inductee into the newly established ONE Hall of Fame.  

“We wanted to make it a magical memory. That’s something we always talk about at ONE. Of course, we have the greatest fighters on the planet like DJ, the world’s best of the best. But one of our ethos is we want to create magical moments that last a lifetime for our fans,” Chatri said during the post-ONE 168: Denver press conference. 

The American MMA superstar has every right to be a pioneer member of the promotion’s Hall of Fame. 

His journey with ONE began in 2018. There, he made headlines as part of a historic trade that sent former welterweight titleholder Ben Askren to the UFC. 

He wasted no time making an impact. In 2019, he claimed his first major achievement by winning the ONE Flyweight MMA World Grand Prix Championship, defeating Danny Kingad in the final. 

That victory set the stage for a showdown with then-ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Adriano Moraes in April 2021.  

Though Johnson entered the bout as the favorite, Moraes pulled off the upset by knocking out the AMC Pankration representative. 

In their rematch over a year later, Johnson turned the tables on Moraes, delivering a knockout of his own to claim the title.  

The rivalry culminated in a trilogy fight in May 2023. There, Johnson outclassed Moraes over five rounds to retain the crown. 

Although his retirement shocked fans, he made sure to bow out in a manner that reflected his career — at the top of his game. 

ONE plans to host grand Hall of Fame ceremony

Chatri Sityodtong revealed that a full-blown Hall of Fame ceremony is in the works for the future, promising a grand celebration of the athletes aside from Demetrious Johnson who have shaped the organization’s history.  

“It’s going to be on a deserved basis,” he said. “But yes, there will be a Hall of Fame ceremony.”