Back in March 2025, former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson competed in his third Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) tournament at the 2025 IBJJF Pan Championship. Entering the Master 2 featherweight division (154.6 lbs) as a black belt, the 38-year-old looked to build on his 2024 success as a brown belt, when he captured gold at the same event. Johnson faced a much tougher challenge. Matched against Leon Amancio—a seasoned veteran and two-time World Masters champion—he was eliminated in the opening round after a hard-fought bout.

Unfortunately for ‘Mighty Mouse,’ the struggles didn’t end there. His recent outing on the mats also ended in defeat, marking his second loss of 2025. IBJJF World Master, held in Las Vegas alongside Jiu-Jitsu CON from August 28–29, was billed as one of the biggest jiu-jitsu tournaments in the world during a stacked combat sports weekend. After defeating Pedro Eduardo Hermosa Jr. in his opening bout in the Master 2 featherweight division (154.6 lbs) as a black belt, Johnson’s run came to a halt in the second round, where he fell to Takuto Kako. 

Only hours after stepping off the mat, the former UFC champion broke his silence on the crushing setback, addressing the loss through social media. “0-2 this year booiisss in comp,” Demetrious Johnson wrote on Instagram while sharing a picture of himself from the event. “All smiles, I’ll get back home and prep for the next one.” Interestingly, ‘Mighty Mouse’ made his debut in an IBJJF competition at the 2023 IBJJF Masters World Championships, where he won gold in the brown belt Master 2 featherweight division.

Since his retirement from MMA last year at the ONE 168 event in Denver, Colorado, Johnson has remained active in BJJ tournaments. After winning the 2024 IBJJF Pans title, he was promoted to blackbelt. Johnson competed as a black belt at the IBJJF World Masters Championships in Las Vegas on August 30, 2024. He won his first three matches but lost in his fourth match via submission to Tomoya Yanagisawa in the quarterfinals. Regardless, while Johnson promises to make a comeback, his two losses this year must be stinging. Why?

Well, because he recently recalled what UFC President Dana White told him once when he was in the promotion.

Demetrious Johnson recalls being told he wasn’t the best in UFC

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. With 11 consecutive title defenses and some of the most spectacular finishes in UFC history, many have considered him the pound-for-pound king during his reign. However, not everyone shared that view—including UFC president Dana White.

Speaking on ‘Young Man Ramble’ with Israel Adesanya, Johnson revealed that White once told him to his face that he wasn’t the best fighter in the world. “Dana White, I’ll never forget. We’re at a Snoop Dogg concert. It’s me, Dana White, we’re talking. He’s drinking Bud Light. And he goes, ‘You know what? You’re not the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.’”

Instead, White pointed to former two-division champion Conor McGregor. “You know who is? … Conor McGregor. You know why? Cause he would fight anybody.” Johnson admitted he disagreed with the claim but respected White’s honesty. “I’d rather somebody tell me the honest truth… instead of giving me flowers in front of my face [and] talk s— behind your back.”

Painful or not, Demetrious Johnson is heading back to the drawing board. Perhaps 2026 would be a better year for his BJJ career. Until then, do you think Johnson can replicate his success in MMA in his BJJ career?