Tag: Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson on UFC 314’s Paddy Pimblett: ‘One day he will be a champion’

Demetrious Johnson sees championship potential in Paddy Pimblett.

[autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] sees championship potential in [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag].

Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) meets former title challenger Michael Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) in Saturday’s five-round UFC 314 co-headliner (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Kaseya Center in Miami.

While breaking down footage of Pimblett’s Cage Warriors days, Johnson was very impressed with his skills. He thinks the persona overshadows his actual ability.

“This is why he’s so good,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “I think one day he will be a champion. If he doesn’t become champion, it’ll be like one of the guys who were really good and never became champion, like a Urijah Faber or Joseph Benavidez. He does everything right, in this fight, in this time of his career, and when he fought Bobby Green.”

In just six UFC fights, Chandler has already engaged in multiple Fight of the Year candidates. Johnson doesn’t expect Pimblett to back down from a war.

“Paddy can grapple, he can strike, he can do it all,” Johnson said. “I think it’s going to be an interesting fight when he takes on Michael Chandler because Michael Chandler is just a big ball of energy that goes from 0-2000(mph), and I know Paddy’s going to meet that once he gets rocked.”

Johnson acknowledges that Pimblett is prone to getting hit, but complimented his ability to always bring the fight to his opponents.

“Paddy Pimblett’s always fought like this,” Johnson said. “You guys only see the part where he’s talking trash, he’s fat (when he’s not fighting), and all that stuff, but he’s able to create scrambles and come out on top of those scrambles and submit people.

“So if he’s fighting Michael Chandler and Michael Chandler hits him two times, pushes him against the cage, takes him down, Pimblett’s going to be looking to do some beautiful jiu-jitsu work to try and catch him.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Alexandre Pantoja or Kyoji Horiguchi? Demetrious Johnson would favor UFC champion

Demetrious Johnson doesn’t see Kyoji Horiguchi being the one to dethrone UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.

[autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] doesn’t see [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] being the one to dethrone UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag].

Horiguchi (34-5 MMA, 7-1 UFC) has re-signed with the UFC after vacating his RIZIN flyweight title. The former UFC 125-pound title challenger, former Bellator champ and former RIZIN champion will return to the octagon for the first time since November 2016.

After failing in his first UFC title bid against Johnson in 2015, Horiguchi hopes he can become the first Japanese UFC champ. However, with Pantoja at the top, Johnson doesn’t think Horiguchi can beat him.

“I think Pantoja does (win),” Johnson told Submission Radio. “I think Pantoja could take a shot. Pantoja hasn’t been dropped, he hasn’t been hurt in all of his UFC career from what I’ve seen. He’s had those great battles against him vs. Brandon Moreno, and right there that’ll be a great matchup. Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Brandon Moreno.

“I mean, there were some matches to be made in the UFC flyweight division without Kyoji Horiguchi ever fighting Alex Pantoja. But if he wants to fight for the belt, he’s going to have to fight Pantoja, and I think when it comes down to it, it’s going to be Pantoja. I think Pantoja, he has a hard chin, he has great grappling.”

Johnson questions whether Horiguchi will even fight Pantoja considering that they’re training partners at American Top Team.

“Now for the opportunity for him to come back to the UFC, but one of his main training partners, Alex Pantoja, is the champion,” Johnson said. “So is he going to go down to 125, or is he going to fight at 135? What are his options? I don’t foresee him and Alex Pantoja ever fighting, so that’s going to put a big strain on his career.

“He is getting older. I believe he’s in his early 30s, maybe mid 30s. Alex Pantoja isn’t going to lose anytime soon, so I think it’s a very interesting dynamic of why he’s coming back now instead of the past where I think now it may be a little interesting because the question is, he has a title in his sights, but his main training partner, Alex Pantoja, is the champion.”

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Former UFC champ says Tom Aspinall should stop waiting for Jon Jones

A Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall UFC heavyweight title showdown is “like a movie that we’re all excited about that might never come out.”

[autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] advises [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] against waiting for UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag].

It’s been more than 500 days since interim champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has competed as he awaits his title-unification bout with Jones. But with the rumor circulating that Jones is asking for six months to prep for Aspinall once the fight is finalized, Johnson thinks the Brit needs to move on.

Aspinall has already defended his interim title once when he finished Curtis Blaydes by TKO at UFC 304 last July, and Johnson would like to see him fight again before a potential matchup with Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC).

“If I was Tom Aspinall, I’d be like, ‘God, dude, like I’m not f*cking waiting six months,'” Johnson told Submission Radio. “Like, y’all need to get me another fight. But then again, this could be the biggest fight of his career if he’s able to beat Jon Jones. I have mixed feelings on the six months. I think that Tom Aspinall should take another fight.

“I think when you put a athlete who’s very young like that on ice and they don’t get that ring time, they don’t get that opportunity to get out there and just fight and make the money, it’s a little bit different. If I was Tom Aspinall, I’ll say, ‘Jon Jones wants six months, I’m going to pass on that fight, I’m going to fight somebody else, I’ll defend the interim heavyweight championship.'”

With Jones’ return date still to be determined, Johnson doesn’t want to see Aspinall waste his prime years on the sidelines – especially with no certainty that the fight even happens.

“Everybody’s fighting on Jon Jones’ timeline,” Johnson continued. “If I was Tom Aspinall, I wouldn’t fight on Jon Jones’ timeline. He’s dictating what’s going on right now and when that fight’s going to happen. If I was Tom Aspinall, I’m like, ‘Nah, I’m not waiting six months. I’m not going to do that.’ I can’t remember the last time Tom Aspinall fought.

“When did Jon Jones fight? Was that last year in November? That is a long time, and the fight hasn’t even been signed. So, is it six months when they finally sign the fight? Or is it six months from now? It’s been prolonged so long that it’s almost like a movie that we’re all excited about that might never come out.”

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Why Demetrious Johnson ranks Islam Makhachev as MMA’s pound-for-pound best

MMA’s flyweight GOAT Demetrious Johnson believes Islam Makhachev’s skills place him as pound-for-pound best fighter in the world today.

One of the GOATs of MMA, [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag], believes pound-for-pound rankings boil down to the total skillset a particular fighter possesses.

Pound-for-pound debates can quickly get convoluted because everyone has slightly different criteria to shake out the hypothetical rankings. Johnson considers activity, championship status, and recency, but nothing tops being a well-rounded fighter.

“MMA is the easiest sport in the world to become a world champion,” Johnson told MMA Junkie Radio. “Like, you can suck, you can not have a – you can have such holes in your game and become a world champion.”

Johnson knows a thing or two about being a well-rounded fighter. Throughout his legendary championship run in the UFC, he defended his title by various submissions, knockouts and decisions. Simply put, “Mighty Mouse” was a problem for his opponents anywhere the fight would go. Johnson humbly acknowledges the total skillset he presented in the cage, and sees a lot of that in UFC lightweight champ [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag].

“Right now, Islam Makhachev is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world right now,” Johnson said. “He can strike, he can grapple, he has judo, he has jiu-jitsu. He’s battled adversity. He is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. Jon Jones is right after that, because he can do it all. He’s battled adversity, he’s grappled people. He’s been in the game for a very, very long time.”

For some, capturing a title in a second weight class is tipping point for their pound-for-pound arguments. Makhachev has four title defenses at lightweight, but hasn’t had the opportunity to fight for a second title. If the landscape changes at 170 pounds he could, because he won’t fight the current champ Belal Muhammad.

Johnson recently spent time with Makhachev and his camp on the mats, and believes his skills will translate to the top of the division, should he ever make a change in the future.

“When I trained with him and seen how big he was at that time, he’s forcing his – I think he’ll be fine at 170,” Johnson said. “I truly believe so. The only thing he’s going to have to make up a difference for is just the size and the weight. For someone who’s well-rounded and has so many wins in different areas knocking people out and submitting them and all that stuff, I think he’ll be fine.”

Ex-UFC champ Demetrious Johnson sticking to retirement despite getting multiple offers

Former UFC champ Demetrious Johnson is sticking to his guns despite multiple ‘great offers’ to return to MMA.

MMA retirements often times don’t last. However, [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] is certain his is definite.

The majority of retirements in combat sports, and particularly MMA, after seemingly taken with a grain of salt. The fame, potential for financial upside, glory and competition have frequently led to athletes picking the gloves back up after putting them down. Johnson, a former UFC and ONE Championship titleholder, hasn’t once contemplated making a comeback to MMA since he announced to the the world that he was done in September.

“There’s no point to it,” Johnson told MMA Junkie Radio. “There’s got to be a point in time when it’s like, ‘OK, when is it enough?’ I felt that after the Adriano (Moraes) fight, this is the pinnacle. I was UFC champion, I was a ONE Championship champion, there’s nothing else for me to prove here. What, make more money?”

Although Johnson made his announcement less than seven months ago, he had already been out of action for well over a year prior to that in a title defense against Moraes. He knew he was done long before sharing it with the world.

In recent month, many fans have clamored for Johnson to compete. Current UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja called him out after his most recent defense in December, but to not avail.

Johnson, 38, said numerous offers to compete again have come his way, but there’s been nothing that’s even slightly tempting.

“Nope, not at all,” Johnson said. “I’ve had offers come in. I’ve had great offers, had a few offers come in, and I’m like, ‘No, I’m good,’ because I feel I try to be a man of my word. I told myself that I was never going to take a fight to make money. Those days of using my body to make money are over. I’m not going to sign a contract and go fight.”

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Johnson is considered by many as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. He still holds the record for most consecutive UFC title defenses at 11.

“Mighty Mouse” said he’s firm stance on retirement, and it’s made all the more easy because he has financial stability. Not only from his fighting career, but from the lines of revenue he created along the way and his growing brand as an analyst and YouTube personality.

Moreover, Johnson emphasizes above all that his decision was never made in haste, so in his mind, any road back to MMA is impossible to unwind.

“I think it was important for me to take that time,” Johnson said. “I think as a professional athlete in mixed martial arts, you never know when it’s the right time when it comes to mixed martial arts. Like, ‘Oh, man. This guy is on an eight-fight winning streak, what is left for him to do? Should he keep on fighting to make money? Should he retire?’ For me, I knew after that Adriano fight in Denver, Colorado, I was like, ‘Oh, man. Is this all my life is meant to be? Just keep on fighting over and over again and go to the press conference?’

“So I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to see if I can be able to sustain, make money without getting punched in the face.’ So I gave myself a year to see if I was going to miss it, miss the press conference, miss fighting, miss competing. And as time went on, I fell in love with competing in jiu-jitsu with the gi and I started building the YouTube and started doing the Mighty Cast, and doing different things and working on different businesses, I was like, ‘Man, I really don’t miss it.’ I didn’t want to hold up the division as well.”

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Demetrious Johnson had the perfect response to Yoel Romero’s ‘Minnie Mouse’ flub

You’ll have to forgive Yoel Romero’s lack of knowledge on mouse cartoon characters. Demetrious Johnson did lol.

[autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] certainly knows who [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] is, but you’ll have to forgive his lack of knowledge on mouse cartoon characters. I’m just thankful it gave us one of the funniest unintentional jokes of the year in MMA.

Here’s why.

During an interview with Submission Radio, Romero was asked to name his four greatest UFC fighters of all time. Romero rattled off Jon Jones No. 1, Anderson Silva No. 2, and Georges St-Pierre No. 3 before taking a moment to think and included Johnson No. 4.

As pointed out on X, Romero hilariously flubbed his nickname:

Of course, we all know DJ’s nickname is “Mighty Mouse” after the animated superhero, not Mickey’s sweetheart “Minnie Mouse.”

Me personally? I don’t think Romero meant “Minnie Mouse” but instead called him “Mini” Mouse, as in a small mouse. Which makes sense since Johnson is a flyweight. Honest mistake!

Johnson caught wind of Romero’s flub and gave us the perfect response a day later on X. Check it out:

Well played, champ.

MMA Junkie Radio #3549: Demetrious Johnson, Reinier de Ridder interviews, Conor McGregor at White House, more

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”


Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,549, the boys welcome in a pair of phenomenal guests: MMA legend [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] and UFC contender [autotag]Reinier de Ridder[/autotag]. The fellas also discuss Conor McGregor’s surprise appearance at the White House, results from UFC Fight Night 254 and more! Tune in!

UFC legend Demetrious Johnson rubbishes claims of Jon Jones never losing: ‘He broke the rules’

Demetrious Johnson can’t consider UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones undefeated.

[autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] can’t consider UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] undefeated.

Outside of a 2009 disqualification loss to Matt Hamill for using then-illegal 12-6 elbows, Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) has never lost in MMA. He dominated generations of light heavyweight talent as champion, then successfully claimed a second UFC belt at heavyweight after Francis Ngannou left the promotion.

Johnson, the record holder for most consecutive UFC title defenses, says Jones’ blemish can’t be ignored, even if it’s a disqualification.

“He did lose. He lost to Matt Hamill. Yep, he f*cking lost. He broke the rules,” Johnson said on the “JAXXON PODCAST.” “A loss is a loss. Whether you win by a second or five miles, winning is winning. … 28 wins and one loss, he lost to Matt Hamill. UFC, Ultimate Fighter 10, December 5th, 2009, disqualification, illegal elbows. It’s still a loss, motherf*cker. His record shows 28-1-1.”

Johnson said he does consider Jones one of the greatest to ever do it and has constantly defended him when people exclude him from the GOAT conversation due to his history with failed drug tests.

But he’s not ready to acknowledge him as an undefeated fighter.

“Has Jon Jones ever gotten finished or what not? No, he has not,” Johnson said. “But he did get disqualified, which led to a loss, so he has lost before.”

Jones notched his first heavyweight title defense when he finished Stipe Miocic by Round 3 TKO at UFC 309 this past November. He is expected to face interim champion Tom Aspinall in a title-unification bout next.

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Three GOATs on one card: Watch UFC 126 replay with Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, Demetrious Johnson

With names like Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, and Demetrious Johnson, UFC 126 was a stacked event from 2011. Check out the full replay.

One of the most stacked cards in UFC history went down on Feb. 5, 2011.

UFC 126 took place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, and it was stacked with Hall of Famers, household names and fan favorites. In fact, three GOATs competed: [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag], [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag].

The main event, a middleweight title fight between Silva and Vitor Belfort, produced one of the most memorable front kick finishes ever.

Just look at the fight card:

MAIN CARD

  • Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort
  • Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin
  • Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader
  • Jake Ellenberger vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha
  • Miguel Torres vs. Antonio Banuelos

PRELIMINARY CARD

  • Donald Cerrone vs. Paul Kelly
  • Chad Mendes vs. Michihiro Omigawa
  • Demetrious Johnson vs. Norifumi Yamamoto
  • Paul Taylor vs. Gabe Ruediger
  • Mike Pierce vs. Kenny Robertson
  • Kyle Kingsbury vs. Ricardo Romero

The UFC made a full replay of the event available on its YouTube channel, which you can watch above.

Overreaction Time: Covington a fraud? Sold on Topuria to 155? Adesanya under pressure? More!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” on the fallout from UFC Tampa, plus some major developments and a big main event booked.

The time for overreacting is here!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” at noon ET/9 a.m. PT as host Simon Samano and MMA Junkie Radio host “Gorgeous” George Garcia debate these “overreactions” on the following topics in mixed martial arts:

  • UFC Tampa newsflash: [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] was a FRAUD this whole time.
  • UFC Tampa: [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] is the MOST DANGEROUS fighter in the welterweight division.
  • UFC Tampa: The best finish of the night was ROBBED of a bonus.
  • [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] moving to lightweight would be a GOOD MOVE for his career.
  • [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] was WISE to brush off Alexandre Pantoja’s callout.
  • UFC Saudi Arabia: The pressure is on [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] to win DEFINITIVELY against Nassourdine Imavov.

Watch the full episode in the video above.