Former UFC Flyweight champion and current One Championship Flyweight Grand Prix champion Demetrious Johnson has spoken out stating that he doesn’t plan to cut down to 125 pounds again.
Speaking to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, the multiple-time champion of the UFC’s 125-pound Flyweight division explained that he would never compete at that weight again.
“It’s not that it’s too much work but I feel like my body works better just natural right? Like if I’m walking around at 138 pounds and I have no fat on me, I’m shredded, as is now and to cut down to 125 It’s just not healthy for the liver, I’m getting older now, I’m not worried about it,” Johnson said.
Currently competing for One Championship in their Flyweight division, due to the weigh-in protocol in the organization Flyweights will compete at 135 pounds after weighing in hydrated to deter dangerous weight cutting protocols.
Johnson also shared with Helwani that he has many fights left on his contract with One and plans to fight out the rest of his days competing with the company.
One Championship acquired Johnson on their roster as part of a historic trade between themselves and the UFC that saw Ben Askren move to the UFC in favor of multiple UFC fighters, including Johnson find their new home at One.
At this point, Johnson was coming off a title streak ending loss to Henry Cejudo in an extremely close fight. Since making the move to One Johnson has won all three of his fights during the Flyweight Grand Prix.
Being the most well known UFC Flyweight of all time and arguably one of the greatest fighters of all time, for Johnson to make the decision to never fight at 125 pounds again limits the potential of any Flyweight super fights fans may have been looking to see in the future.