Many believe dominating a sport should automatically make someone a top contender for the greatest of all time. However, it’s unfortunate that some legends are overlooked despite their incredible achievements. This has been the case for UFC flyweight GOAT Demetrious Johnson. On paper, Mighty Mouse was more accomplished and skilled than nearly all his peers during his peak. Yet, the flyweight division was often seen as lackluster, leading to lower fan engagement in its fights. Despite his exceptional dominance, he had to earn respect from the UFC by sheer force, and even then, he hasn’t received the recognition he truly deserved.
Recently, one of the best ever in the sport, DJ, has left the scene forever as he announced retirement at ONE 168. While there’s no doubt that Mighty Mouse, Johnson, was one of the greatest in the flyweight division, his career also had its standout moments. He held the title from 2012 to 2018, defending it successfully 11 times. His fights were often marked by one-sided domination, reflected in his impressive 25-4-1 record, most of which was earned inside the UFC. Given his stellar career, one question that often arises is: Who was the opponent that managed to outclass DJ? Here’s the answer.
First And Last Loss Of Demetrious Johnson
Unlike Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and other top athletes who enjoyed more glamorous beginnings, his start in professional MMA wasn’t exactly a fairy tale. Similar to Georges St-Pierre, he struggled in the early stages of his career. In fact, he experienced a loss in his fourth-ever fight, which took place back in 2010. This early loss was tough but important given he dominated after this loss.
Talking about his first loss, back in 2010, Mighty Mouse faced off against Brad Pickett in a WEC match. Pickett was all over Johnson on the ground, taking him down and dishing out some serious damage. Even though Johnson tried to fight back, Pickett’s ground game was too much. Ultimately, Pickett ended up winning the match.
Johnson’s final loss in his career took place against Adriano Moraes on April 7, 2021, for the ONE Championship flyweight title at ONE on TNT 1 in Singapore. Despite his dominant performance in ONE Championship, where he had been a standout fighter, this loss was tough to digest. Moraes secured a knockout victory in the second round, which surprised many in the MMA world. Moreover, Johnson was seen as nearly unstoppable leading up to this fight, making the result even more shocking to fans and analysts alike.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MMA stories via Google! Follow Us
Also Read: Khabib Nurmagomedov Credits Coach Javier Mendez For Taking His Mental Game To The Next Level
Mighty Mouse Vs. Dominick Cruz
Although Pickett handed Johnson his first-ever loss in MMA, it wasn’t his first setback in the UFC. When he joined the biggest MMA promotion, he hit the ground running, taking out Norifumi Yamamoto and then facing off against Miguel Torres. His momentum was unstoppable, but things took a turn after he lost the title fight against Dominick Cruz. Mighty Mouse couldn’t maintain the same energy and fell off big time.
In 2011, Cruz defeated Mighty Mouse via a unanimous decision, a big deal because Mighty Mouse had lost only twice in the UFC. This was the only second loss in his UFC career where his opponent dominated throughout and secured a safe unanimous victory.
Demetrious Johnson’s Final UFC Fight Ends In Disappointment Against Henry Cejudo
After the loss to Dominick Cruz, Johnson transformed into a completely different beast, not losing a single bout after that. Interestingly, during this time, he clinched the title from Joseph Benavidez and defended it 11 times consecutively, defeating names like Henry Cejudo, Ray Borg, and others. However, his last UFC fight didn’t go well for him, as he lost to Cejudo at UFC 227 via split decision, which was indeed controversial.
Despite a few bumps in the road, Mighty Mouse had a solid MMA career. He racked up 25 wins, took out some of the biggest names, and locked in his status as a legit pound-for-pound GOAT, earning respect from superstars like Khabib Nurmagomedov and others who nod in agreement.
Also Read: UFC News: Khabib Nurmagomedov Finally Explains The $100M Offer From Dana White
