There’s several hurdles in the way of a Pantoja vs. Johnson showdown, the biggest being UFC’s reluctance to put effort into working with ‘Mighty Mouse.’
Kai Asakusa rolled into UFC 310 on a wave of hype, but will leave with the lesson that there are levels to this game.
UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja dismantled the Japanese challenger, shrugging off Asakura’s attacks to earn a submission win just over two minutes into the second round (watch the highlights here). There was no apparent fear built into Pantoja’s aggressive gameplan to go toe-to-toe with the dynamic striker. He kept things tight and took Asakura’s back in a scramble, putting him to sleep.
With that win Pantoja has defended the 125 pound belt three times, which is more than any UFC flyweight champion not named Demetrious Johnson (who has 11). He also tied Johnson for most wins at flyweight and most finishes. So it seems appropriate that he called “Mighty Mouse” out in the cage following his win.
Pantoja calls out DJ!! Oh yes, can we please have that UFC? pic.twitter.com/kW0RVe4ncB
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) December 8, 2024
“He don’t fight any more, he retired in here,” Pantoja said to Joe Rogan. “But this is something for you, Demetrious Johnson: I’m the GOAT in here. If you want to prove you’re the GOAT, come back.”
Johnson was infamously traded to ONE Championship for Ben Askren in 2018 and announced his retirement from the sport in September 2024, citing a lack of passion for MMA competition. His last fight was in May 2023, and he seems perfectly content with his decision to switch to grappling and jiu jitsu competitions.
“Mighty Mouse” even responded to Pantoja’s callout shortly after it was made.
“Guys, I got offered $2 million to fight,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I turned it down. I don’t care to fight any more!”
Guys I got offered 2 million dollars to fight!! I turned it down I don’t care to fight anymore YouTube video dropping soon
— Demetrious Johnson (@MightyMouse) December 8, 2024
So there’s certainly a lot of hurdles to get over: Johnson is happily retired. ONE still holds his contract. And the UFC has never treated “Mighty Mouse” as a commodity worth investing in.
But on the other hand, we’re rolling into a big year for the promotion where they’re negotiating a new batch of broadcast deals. They’re battling the perception that they can’t get the big fights done. In the grand scheme of things, there’s nothing stopping this fight that a little effort, respect, and compensation couldn’t overcome.
Come on, UFC: if you’re the place where the best fight the best, then Alexandre Pantoja vs. Demetrious Johnson is the fight to make.