Demetrious Johnson reveals that leaving the UFC for ONE Championship was best decision ever
Demetrious Johnson dominated the flyweight division, but the MMA GOAT believes he wasn’t being compensated sufficiently until he joined ONE Championship.
“Mighty Mouse” explained to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin this past week that being traded to ONE Championship allowed him to become financially sound for the first time in his life – despite a long, successful tenure in the UFC.
“ONE Championship is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Johnson told MMA Fighting.
“The reason why I say that is on multiple fronts. Obviously the [UFC antitrust] lawsuit just went preliminary [approval] and I remember somebody said you take 23 percent of whatever you made in the company and that’s what it would be.
“That time frame from 2011 all the way to 2017, I had 17 fights. I think 12 of them were world championship fights and five of them weren’t. So I did all the math, I did all that stuff and I was like what the f*ck? That’s all I made? I was in bed last night just doing the math. I was like godd*mn, I’m f*cking gutted.”
Johnson competed in the UFC between 2011 and 2018. He cemented himself as the best flyweight in the world, defending the gold a record 11 times.
The American then moved to ONE in 2019, where he won the ONE Flyweight MMA World Grand Prix and the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title. He then retired as king this past September at an emotional sendoff at ONE 168: Denver.
Demetrious Johnson has no interest in a return to MMA
Longtime ONE flyweight MMA king Demetrious Johnson’s MMA career is done and dusted.
The American superstar has said there is no chance of a comeback to the all-encompassing sport. Johnson now enjoys spending more time with his family, building his online businesses and developing his podcast.
His new passions may come without risk of injury, but Johnson is also open to submission grappling in ONE Championship. Until that happens, though, the MMA GOAT is just enjoying his new life.
