Tag: Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson says Ilia Topuria is just a bad matchup for Alexander Volkanovski: ‘You’re going to sleep’

Demetrious Johnson advises Alexander Volkanovski against taking an immediate rematch vs. Ilia Topuria.

[autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] advises [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] against an immediate rematch vs. [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) was dethroned by Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 298 main event at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. when he was knocked out in Round 2. “The Great” campaigned for a rematch, and is even willing to face Topuria in Spain to get it.

But Johnson isn’t sure if that’s a good idea. He thinks Topuria’s power will continue to pose problems for Volkanovski.

“I watched his (Volkanovski’s) press conference, and he still seems bubbly,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “There’s a spirit about him where he wants to continue to fight, but the question is, does he do an immediate rematch? For me, after listening to the press conference, Volkanovski was like, ‘Man, I was going to start adding more things to the fight.’

“When I sit here, if Ilia gets the opportunity to touch you, you’re going to sleep. So, I don’t know what other tool set he was going to bring to the fight to stop Ilia from getting to him. If they do a rematch, all Ilia has to do is touch him. He has to run away from Ilia Topuria for 25 minutes. … I truly feel like Ilia Topuria is a bad matchup for Alex Volkanovski because he doesn’t get frustrated.”

Volkanovski has been knocked out in his past two fights. Johnson worries about his chin moving forward – especially in a matchup against someone like Topuria.

“I’d be curious to see how he (Volkanovski) would change the game plan because if Ilia touches you, he’s going to go out,” Johnson said. “Especially since his last few fights he’s gotten knocked out. You look at Wanderlei Silva, you look at Chuck Liddell, once you get knocked out and you get knocked again and again, that button goes quicker and quicker and quicker. It happened last night.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Demetrious Johnson has surprising pick for MMA Fighter of the Year: Mike Perry

Demetrious Johnson has an unpopular opinion for 2023’s MMA Fighter of the Year.

[autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] has an unpopular opinion for 2023’s MMA Fighter of the Year.

With UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland winning MMA Junkie’s Male Fighter of the Year, Johnson looked outside of the major MMA promotions for his pick.

Instead, “Mighty Mouse” selected [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], who scored two stoppage wins over former UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez in bare-knuckle boxing this year.

“Mike Perry has stopped two world champions in his last two fights,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “He’s gone against the grain. He was, I felt, a very successful mixed martial artist. He’s got big wins, and he did something different. He goes, ‘I’m not going to have no coach in the corner hand me water, telling me “Do this, do this. I’m going to have my girlfriend do that and save me some money,” and he did it.

“Now he is the ‘King of Violence.’ He’s beaten two of my good friends, Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez, which – those guys are no joke. He has embraced and embodied bareknuckle fighting, and that’s why he gets my best Fighter of the Year.”

The former longtime UFC flyweight champion explained that the nature in which Perry beat Rockhold and Alvarez is what impressed him the most.

“There’s a thing to finish a fighter when they don’t have an option, but when a fighter actually quits, like, ‘Hey dude, I’m done’ – you don’t really see that in any form of combat,” Johnson said.

“Mixed martial arts, you never see a fighter go, ‘No, I’m done – I’m good.’ That’s the last thing a fighter wants to do. But he made Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez do that. Granted, it was medical reasons, but those guys still have to self-consciously say, ‘I’m good – this sport ain’t for me.'”

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Demetrious Johnson: UFC flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja capable of bringing ‘stability’ to division

Demetrious Johnson reacts to Alexandre Pantoja’s first UFC flyweight title defense at UFC 296 and his potential as champion.

[autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] is liking what he’s seeing from the current UFC flyweight champion.

Johnson, the most decorated flyweight champion in company history with 11 consecutive defenses, was very complimentary of Pantoja’s first title defense in this past Saturday’s UFC 296 co-main event. The Brazilian defeated Brandon Royval in a clear, unanimous decision win.

“Mighty Mouse” thought Pantoja looked great, and forecasted he would have this type of success in him from seeing his early days as a contender in the division.

“I think he’s great – I’ve always had big praise for Alexandre Pantoja,” Johnson told MMA Junkie. “I’ve always thought he’s a dark horse. He’s a very good. He’s a very good grappler and that’s his strong suit. He’s got a very good chin, and in the fight he looked great.

“Brandon really impressed me. I thought that Brandon was just going to get destroyed by Pantoja, but he showed a lot of heart and grit. He was very good off his back and that’s where I think he did most of his damage, off his back, and on the feet, too. He did a good job. It was a great fight. Pantoja is great for the flyweight division, and I can’t wait to see who he’s going to fight next.”

Johnson set a record for most consecutive title defenses in UFC history during his run from September 2012-August 2018. Since his departure from the promotion in 2018, no champion at 125 pounds has been able to defend his belt more than once. This list of subsequent titleholders includes Henry Cejudo, Deiveson Figueiredo, Brandon Moreno and now, Pantoja.

Johnson believes Pantoja, skill wise, may be the one to bring some stability at the championship level at flyweight.

“I think so, yeah. He has the full, complete set,” Johnson said. “I think that only thing I saw this weekend that Brandon could’ve taken advantage of, was that he was so focused on defending the takedown and out striking Pantoja – I don’t think you’re going to knockout Pantoja, he’s got a chin. I think if Brandon wrestled him, like ‘OK, I’m going to take the grappling to you and put you on your back and force,’ that’s where Pantoja looked like he was depleting most of his gas tank. They would get in a scramble and Brandon would get up and that’s where he would start with the jab. I think if Pantoja will look back and think, ‘I have to work in X, Y and Z.’

“Also, he’s getting older, he’s been fighting for a very long time, how much longer does he want to do it – all these things play a factor in stability in being a champion. When I look back when I did it, 11 consecutive title defenses, finishes, and always trying to be ahead a step of my competition. It’s a lot of work. It’s not just the fights. You’re training, staying healthy, and your mind set. How much longer does he want to do it? It all boils down to all that stuff.”

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Demetrious Johnson confident ‘legit’ Alexandre Pantoja defends title at UFC 296

Demetrious Johnson gives his prediction on Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval.

[autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] enters UFC 296 with the backing of arguably the greatest fighter to compete in his weight class.

[autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag], the first and most dominant flyweight champion in UFC history, is fully confident Pantoja (26-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) is going to get the job done this Saturday. Pantoja defends his title for the very first time against Brandon Royval in the co-main event of UFC 296, which goes down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

For Johnson, this is a moment he saw coming years before Pantoja became UFC flyweight champion.

“I’ve always said Pantoja is a dark horse of the flyweight division,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “Even when he did ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ when it was all the flyweights around the world, all the champions, I had him as one of the best fighters in that tournament, but sometimes the path to victory is longer or harder for other gentlemen.

“But now, Pantoja is the flyweight champion. He beat Brandon Moreno in the last fight. Alex Pantoja is legit. He’s got hands. He’s got a hard chin and his biggest strength in my opinion is his grappling, which is his ace in the hole.

“Brandon has had his ups and downs. He broke his arm in one of his fights. He’s been in some wars, but he’s also got a slick submission game. The biggest thing I like about this fight is Alex Pantoja being able to shine. He hasn’t had the opportunity to shine. He’s been a dark horse. A lot of people don’t really know about him, but I’ve always had my eye on him.”

Johnson was champion of the UFC’s flyweight division when Pantoja entered the promotion in 2017. The two fought under the same banner for a little over a year before Johnson moved on to ONE Championship.

“Mighty Mouse” respects Royval (15-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC), but he’s confident Pantoja will get his hand raised on Saturday. He’s been watching him work for quite some time.

“I have Alex Pantoja winning this fight,” Johnson said. “I think he has an amazing team behind him. The man has been battle tested. I think it’s time for his star to shine. This man has been through the ringer, he’s one of the best flyweights on this planet. He’s got an amazing training partner in Adriano Moraes, one of my former opponents.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.

Demetrious Johnson ranks himself No. 2 on MMA GOAT list

Demetrious Johnson puts only one fighter ahead of himself when ranking MMA’s all-time greats.

[autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] puts only one fighter ahead of him when ranking MMA’s all-time greats.

Johnson (25-4-1), a former longtime UFC flyweight champion and current ONE Championship title holder, holds the record for most consecutive title defenses in the octagon.

Johnson, who was ranked No. 3 on MMA Junkie’s list of the 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time,” put former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva at No. 4 on his personal list, followed by former UFC two-division champ Georges St-Pierre No. 3, then himself No. 2.

“At No. 2, you have yours truly,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “Moi, Demetrious Johnson. Nobody has been able to do what I’ve been able to do in the flyweight division or in any division. Eleven consecutive title defenses, created a brand new move that none of you guys ever seen, the ‘Mighty Whizzbar.’ Shout out to Matt Hume helping me learn that move. I have wins by knockout, submission, gone to a decision, gone to a split draw, whatever you want to call it.”

After former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones claimed the UFC heavyweight title with a quick finish of Ciryl Gane, Johnson ranked him No. 1.

“For my No. 1, I have Jon ‘Bones’ Jones,” Johnson said. “That is the only man I’ll put ahead of me because this man, I feel like any single time he has been inside the cage, he could just destroy his opponent however he wanted. He also has wins by knockout, putting people to sleep, decisions, everything on the list.”

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time reaction show

Join us for a special edition of “Spinning Back Clique” as we discuss and debate our definitive ranking of the 30 greatest UFC fighters.

Join us today for a special edition of “Spinning Back Clique” with our entire staff as we react to our definitive ranking of the 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time. The show starts at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) and will be live streamed on the MMA Junkie YouTube channel, which you can watch in the video above.

[autotag]Georges St-Pierre[/autotag] was revealed to be No. 1 on our countdown, with No. 2 [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag], No. 3 [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag], and No. 4 [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] rounding out our Mount Rushmore of UFC fighters. The conversation definitely won’t end there, though, as we have PLENTY to discuss and debate about our entire list, which you can view here.

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We also want to hear from you, the fans, about our list – whether you love it or hate it. Your comments from the chat could be part of the show.

Be sure to tune in!

MMA Junkie’s 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Full list and videos

To commemorate the UFC’s 30th anniversary, this is our definitive list of the promotion’s 30 greatest fighters of all time.

To commemorate the UFC’s 30th anniversary, MMA Junkie has compiled its definitive list of the 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time. We revealed one every day until the anniversary of UFC 1, which took place Nov. 12, 1993.

Our complete rankings, along with videos for each fighter, can be viewed below.

About the list: All 12 members of our staff submitted their own individual 30 greatest UFC fighters list. Each fighter was assigned a corresponding numerical value based on where they were ranked on an individual’s list, i.e. No. 1 = 30, No. 2 = 29, etc. We took those numbers and added them up to get a total number for each fighter to determine the composite ranking of MMA Junkie’s 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time.

30 greatest UFC fighters of all time: Demetrious Johnson ranked No. 3

Demetrious Johnson was supremely technical during his dominant flyweight title reign, making him our No. 3 greatest UFC fighter of all time.

The UFC is celebrating its 30th year and to commemorate the milestone, MMA Junkie has compiled its 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time. Every day until the anniversary of UFC 1 on Nov. 12 (1993), we will reveal one fighter on our list.

Today, MMA Junkie reporter Nolan King brings you No. 3: [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag].

You can watch King’s career retrospective on Johnson above; video produced by Abbey Subhan.

Also see:

About the list: All 12 members of our staff submitted their own individual 30 greatest UFC fighters list. Each fighter was assigned a corresponding numerical value based on where they were ranked on an individual’s list, i.e. No. 1 = 30, No. 2 = 29, etc. We took those numbers and added them up to get a total number for each fighter to determine the composite ranking of MMA Junkie’s 30 greatest UFC fighters of all time.

Demetrious Johnson prefers Francis Ngannou in boxing: ‘There’s nothing left for him to do’ in MMA

Fellow ex-UFC champ Demetrious Johnson would rather see Francis Ngannou stick to boxing after his impressive debut against Tyson Fury.

Former UFC flyweight champion [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] would rather see [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] stick to boxing after his impressive debut.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou looked far from inexperienced when he lost a close split decision to Tyson Fury in their crossover boxing match this Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Ngannou went toe to toe with Fury and even knocked him down in Round 3.

Johnson, the current ONE Championship bantamweight title holder who accurately predicted that Ngannou would drop Fury, thought Ngannou won the fight. After Ngannou proved that he could compete with perhaps the best heavyweight boxer of his generation in Fury, “Mighty Mouse” thinks Ngannou should continue riding his momentum.

“What’s next for Francis? I don’t think I want to see Francis do mixed martial arts,” Johnson said on his YouTube channel. “I know that might be hard to hear, but I don’t see why PFL cannot do boxing. Why not PFL do boxing? You have one of the biggest stars in boxing right now, Francis, who just beat the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Tyson Fury.”

Ngannou is currently signed with PFL after parting ways with the UFC. Ngannou said he plans on competing in both boxing and MMA moving forward, but Johnson thinks Ngannou has nothing left to prove in MMA.

“I want to see Francis box,” Johnson continued. “I don’t want to see him do mixed martial arts. We’ve seen him do mixed martial arts. He’s beaten the best of the world in mixed martial arts. He’s been a world champion. There’s nothing left for him to do in that sport. I want to see him do boxing. He’s going to make big money in boxing. He could fight Anthony Joshua, he could fight Deontay Wilder. The gates have just opened up.”

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For more on the matchup, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Fury vs. Ngannou.

Demetrious Johnson: Sean O’Malley a ‘way tougher’ fight than Aljamain Sterling

Demetrious Johnson thinks he’d have a much harder time against Sean O’Malley than he would Aljamain Sterling.

ONE flyweight champion [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] thinks he’d have a much harder time against [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] than [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag].

O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) claimed the bantamweight title when he TKO’d Sterling in this past Saturday’s UFC 292 headliner at TD Garden in Boston.

O’Malley was sharp, precise and able to fend off Sterling’s grappling for the most part. Johnson is widely considered one of the greatest fighters of all time but was humble in his assessment of how a potential fight with O’Malley would go if it happened now.

“Dude, me vs. O’Malley, that would be a hard-ass fight,” Johnson said on his MIGHTYcast podcast. “A very, very hard fight. There’s a guy in our gym … he moves just like ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley. He’s long, skinny, rangy, moves, that karate background, spinning back kicks, tries to land that right hand. I have a hard time with him in the gym, just because I’m trying to cross distance the whole entire time.

“But when I finally do cross that distance, I have my clinch game, I have my jiu-jitsu, I have my wrestling is where I actually think I might be able to excel against ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley. But I have to be a realist. Trying to get to him, where he’s much longer, he might even be faster than me now that I’m old as sh*t compared to some people out there being 37 years old. He’s longer, he’s faster, he’s a way cleaner striker than I am. It would be so hard just to get to him.”

When Sterling (23-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) was champion, he said Johnson, a former UFC flyweight champion, would be too small to fight him. Johnson fired back saying he’d destroy Sterling in the clinch and thinks O’Malley would pose a lot more threats to him.

“That would be a way tougher fight than fighting Aljamain Sterling,” Johnson continued. “When I see Aljo, I’m like, I like that fight because he likes to come forward, he loves to cross distance. Maybe he doesn’t do it very good – excuse me, he does it good, but he exposes his chin like we saw the other night. But that fight against ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley, I’m a realist, that would be a very, very extreme fight.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.