Demetrious Johnson reveals he’s targeting professional boxing debut, wants to face ‘a legend of the sport’

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is the latest MMA legend to express profound interest in moving to boxing.

Johnson has gone viral in recent months for his performances in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions. He submitted a 250-pound competitor at a recent tournament, shocking the likes of Joe Rogan and others.

Johnson hasn’t decided on his MMA future since defeating Adriano Moraes in their ONE trilogy in May 2023. He’s remained active in submission grappling matches and hasn’t ruled out an MMA return for the right opponent.

Johnson is never afraid to take on steep challenges, and his next bucket list item could be an appearance inside the boxing ring.

Demetrious Johnson envisions at least one boxing fight before retiring

During a recent episode of the MightyCast podcast with Renato Moicano, Johnson explained how doing a breakdown on Canelo Alvarez enhanced his desire to box.

“I’m gonna break some news right now. I came home last night, broke down some content, and was watching Canelo Alvarez, watching him box,” Johnson explained. “And I was like ‘Oh my god, that looks so damn dope’. Went to the gym, did Jiu-Jitsu, then came home and [told my wife I think I want to box]…

“I’m 37, going to be 38 this year. There comes a point in time when an athlete needs to stop, chill…I’m getting ready for my next Jiu-Jitsu competition. So when my body is ready for a hard training camp, I’d love to box. And it would have to be the right opponent. It if was Manny Pacquiao, f*** it, I’m doing it. I don’t want to box another MMA guy, I wouldn’t mind, but I want to box a legend of the sport.”

Former UFC stars such as Anderson Silva, Tyron Woodley, and Vitor Belfort have made the move to boxing in recent years. Former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo has also turned to boxing, a pursuit he is expected to resume after UFC 301 this weekend.

Johnson is one of the most technical fighters to ever compete in MMA, and if he makes the move to boxing for at least one bout, he could enjoy some financial and competitive success.