‘Enjoy What I’ve Done And Walk Away’ – Demetrious Johnson Reflects On Emotional Retirement At ONE 168: Denver

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson brought his iconic MMA career to an official end at ONE 168: Denver last Friday, September 6.

Revered by many as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, the flyweight legend bowed out in front of his American compatriots at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.

In an emotional speech inside the Circle, Johnson thanked his family, team, and fans for all their support over the years before confirming he would leave the game on top as the reigning ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion.  

Retirement had been on “Mighty Mouse’s” mind for a long time – especially after beating rival Adriano Moraes to retain his gold in May 2023 – but he wanted to be absolutely sure it was the correct decision.

Johnson told onefc.com:

“I knew I was going to retire after I fought Adriano the third time after I did the press conference. I had my kids. I was walking, and I was like, ‘Damn, is this what my life is right here? Is this it?’ 

“And I was like, ‘I’m gonna take a year off, keep on training, and see if I miss it.’ Because I didn’t want to be the athlete who just retires and I’m back home and I’m training, and I’m like ‘Oh man, I wish I could unretire. I wanna come back and fight.’ And then come back out of retirement and fight again. 

“So, my New Year’s resolution this year was that I was gonna force myself not to fight. I need to start using my brain, my intellect, my charisma, my creativity to start making money and building my brand. 

“I was sitting at home, and I was like, ‘I don’t miss it.’ It’s a young man’s game. I’m 38 years old. I’m spending time with my kids and my wife, and I just knew that this was the right time to do it.” 

Leaving a career behind after so many years of dedication can be incredibly difficult, but that feeling also leads many combat sports athletes to keep going longer than they should.  

Johnson has always been known as a cerebral fighter, and he’s taken the same logical approach to retirement.

As the most successful flyweight in MMA history and undoubtedly one of the sport’s greatest World Champions, “Mighty Mouse” has paved the way for generations to follow – but he doesn’t want to be their target.

He explained:

“It was a little bit [of a sigh of relief]. I knew already that I was in that chapter in my life. Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m gonna miss it because I know I can still fight, but there comes a point in time where the athlete just goes, ‘I’m done. I don’t wanna stay too long at the party.’  

“I just wanna enjoy what I’ve done and walk away. And I talked to a lot of guys – GSP was one. He was like, ‘There’s always gonna be another guy.’ That’s why he retired. Urijah Faber, he was like, ‘We only get a short amount of time in our life where we could be a professional athlete and fight at the highest level.’

“So it is pretty hard, but I am relieved to be able to say I’m finally done.” 

Demetrious Johnson ‘Grateful’ For His Final Exit From The Circle 

Demetrious Johnson has always been known for his humility and didn’t want a lot of fanfare around his retirement from MMA, but the people around him told him he deserved it.  

ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong revealed his plan to create the ONE Hall of Fame and make “Mighty Mouse” the first inductee, while Johnson’s wife, Destiny, convinced him that going out with that accolade would be something his supporters would appreciate.

Johnson said:

“For me, I was gonna do it kinda silently, but after talking to Chatri, talking to my wife, they were like, ‘Well, it’s not always about you. It’s about your fans.’

“And I’m grateful I did it the way I did. I think the package that ONE Championship and Chatri put together was absolutely amazing.” 

Now able to look back on his legacy in MMA with finality, Johnson isn’t self-aggrandizing and telling the world that he was the greatest.  

He simply wants to be remembered as somebody who always gave 100 percent, did things the right way, and let his passion for martial arts lead others to call him the GOAT.  

Johnson revealed: 

“I’ve never thought about my legacy. [I’m a] hard worker. I’d probably say from what I’ve achieved in mixed martial arts, I’d say I’m the easiest athlete to work with. Never failed a drug test. Every single time USADA came to me, I made it happen.  

“I always showed up when I fought. So, I would say a hard worker, a great athlete, and a good student.”