Demetrious Johnson Closes Door on UFC Return

Demetrious Johnson was the most dominant UFC champion, as far as title defenses were concerned. The former flyweight kingpin is now continuing his dominant run at ONE Championship. Despite having to compete away from home in the Asian MMA giant, ‘Mighty Mouse’ isn’t looking for a return to the UFC.

The UFC sent Demetrious Johnson over to ONE Championship in a deal that brought Ben Askren to the UFC. A geographical shift, however, hasn’t affected the performance of ‘Mighty Mouse’. Having won the Flyweight Grand Prix, the 33-year old fighter is continuing his impeccable form.

Demetrious will also be challenging Adriano Moraes for the flyweight belt very soon. If he ends up winning the contest, one has to wonder what more can he achieve in his already prolific career. A possibility can be that of a second run in the UFC.

However, if you ask Johnson, he will tell you otherwise.

Demetrious Johnson ready to finish his career with ONE Championship

In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Johnson said that he still has about five years left in his fighting career. As far as where he wants to spend those years, he will tell you that he is happy with his current professional home.

“Nah. ONE Championship will be the last promotion I’ll be part of, like if everything goes according to plan, with me just staying healthy,” Demetrious Johnson said that when asked if a return to the UFC is on his checklist. “When I mean according to the plan, means if I stay healthy I’m good. Like once I’m done, I do not want to come back.”

“You see, the athletes, they quit, but then they come back because they miss it. But when I’m done, I have so much I can do. With just time with my family, kids, gaming. I think I’ll be ready to hang them up,” he added.

Despite his enormous professional success, Demetrious is still very grounded. He also moonlights as a streamer on Twitch. While the fans may never remember him for all his accolades, that was never the goal for him in the first place. At the end of the day, all he wishes for is to have a legacy and maintain a sustainable life for his family.