Demetrious Johnson announces his RETIREMENT from MMA – as the former UFC champion steps away from the sport as one of the all-time greats

Demetrious Johnson’s illustrious career in mixed martial arts has come to an end.

During ONE 168, the 38-year-old stepped into the cage in his hometown of Denver, Colorado, to announce his retirement from the sport in an emotional speech.

Since making his professional debut in 2009 after going undefeated as an amateur, Johnson has compiled a record of 25 wins and four losses, including one draw inside the cage.

On Friday, Johnson became the first person to be inducted into the ONE Championship Hall of Fame and thanked those who helped him on his journey.

“Thank you guys, you made me a better person and a better athlete,” Johnson said.

Demetrious Johnson has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts

The 38-year-old is widely regarded as the best flyweight fighter of all time

Johnson defended his 125lbs title 11 times in the UFC Octagon between 2013 and 2017

“Thank you to my wife for always encouraging me to pursue my passions and dreams. Thank you to everyone at ONE Championship, the staff, the competition team, the social media team, all of you, I appreciate you.

‘Thanks to Chatri [Sityodtong – ONE president] for giving me the opportunity to show my fighting skills on this platform. And yeah guys like like I said lWhen I came to Denver, Colorado, I told you guys that this would probably be my last flight. And I wasn’t lying, like I was done.

“I’m done competing in mixed martial arts. And I want to thank you so much for the opportunity you’ve given me.”

Johnson is best known for his time with the UFC, joining the organization after its merger with the WEC in 2011.

After victories over Kid Yamamoto and Miguel Torres, Johnson got his first shot at gold against Dominick Cruz. Despite the significant height difference, he performed admirably and lost on points after five rounds.

However, when the UFC announced they would be introducing a 125-pound weight class, Johnson took off like a shot.

Johnson began his flyweight career with a draw against Ian McCall, winning the rematch and going on to take the gold, beginning one of the most dominant title reigns in UFC history.

Between 2013 and 2017, Johnson defended his title 11 times, including last-minute defeats of Kyoji Horiguchi and a first-round technical knockout of Henry Cejudo.

His run as champion would end in 2018 after a controversial points loss to Henry Cejudo

After leaving the UFC, Johnson would find further success in ONE Championship

In 2018, Johnson and Cejudo met again at UFC 227, with the Olympic gold medalist this time getting his hand raised by the narrowest of margins on the judges’ scorecards.

Despite holding multiple records in the UFC, Cejudo would later find himself involved in the biggest promotional swap deal in MMA history when he joined ONE with Ben Askren going the other way.

After making his debut with the Singapore-based organization, Johnson continued to dominate, losing twice by knockout to Adriano Moraes.

Johnson’s last appearance in the cage came in May of last year, when he defeated Moraes in their three-fight match to retain the ONE flyweight title.