UFC Champion to Video Game Streamer: The Evolution of Demetrious Johnson

UFC Champion to Video Game Streamer: The Evolution of Demetrious JohnsonMighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson is celebrated as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time and has…

UFC Champion to Video Game Streamer: The Evolution of Demetrious Johnson

Mighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson is celebrated as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time and has now become highly successful in the world of video game streaming. From succeeding in the UFC to succeeding in Call of Duty, Demetrious Johnson has lived a fascinating life.

Demetrious Johnson Streamer

While Johnson’s career in MMA was flourishing, another passion began to take shape—video games. Gaming had been a part of his life since childhood, offering an escape and a bonding experience with his family. “I grew up with a single mom, two brothers, and a sister. After school, we would play outside and then go home to play video games,” Johnson recalled. He streamed on YouTube and Twitch, where some people need free twitch views instead DJ just stuck to it and succeeded.

Raised by his hearing-impaired mother and an abusive stepfather, Johnson’s early years were tough. Despite these challenges, he excelled in sports, particularly wrestling, which set the stage for his future in MMA. Johnson began his professional MMA career in 2006 and, within six years, claimed the inaugural UFC Flyweight Championship in 2012. He would go on to defend this title a record-breaking 11 times.

However, in 2018, his reign came to a close after a split decision loss to Henry Cejudo. This setback didn’t slow him down, and he soon joined ONE Championship, where he captured the ONE Flyweight World Championship in 2022.

Today, Demetrious Johnson has seamlessly transitioned into a successful career as a video game streamer. He frequently streams on Twitch, where he engages with fans in real-time while playing a variety of games such as first-person shooters, RPGs, and RTSs. For Johnson, gaming serves as a hobby rather than a full-time career, providing relaxation during downtime between fights. “When I have downtime between fights, I play video games. It actually relaxes me,” he shared.

Beyond gaming, Johnson has also ventured into tech entrepreneurship, serving on the advisory board for Zeacon, a platform for interactive videos, and investing in Portable Consultants, a startup offering data and voice services.

His passion for gaming also connects to his fighting career. Johnson sees parallels between the strategies in games like “Street Fighter V” and those used in the octagon. “I like the games I like because I can’t go out there and throw a fireball or a spin kick like Ryu,” he explained.

From the UFC to Twitch streaming, Demetrious Johnson is a man of many talents. Today, he is fully retired from MMA and now only focuses on his career as a video game streamer.

Alexander Volkanovski Lists His Top Five MMA GOATs with ‘Mighty Mouse’ At Number One

Alexander Volkanovski Lists His Top Five MMA GOATs with 'Mighty Mouse' At Number OneDemetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson tops Alexander Volkanovski’s list of the top five greatest mixed martial artists of all time….

Alexander Volkanovski Lists His Top Five MMA GOATs with 'Mighty Mouse' At Number One

Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson tops Alexander Volkanovski’s list of the top five greatest mixed martial artists of all time.

During a recent Q&A session on YouTube to celebrate the end of 2024, Volkanovski fielded questions from fight fans with one of them asking ‘The Great’ who he sees as the best of the best.

“All right, let’s get into it. I’m going to say, Demetrious Johnson,” Volkanovski began.

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“I’m going to have to throw Jon Jones in there,” he continued. “Everyone knows my take on, you know, the trouble outside of it, but I mean, he’s just been champ, he’s been at the top forever, you know what I mean? So you can’t not include him. I know a lot of people are always going to throw out those things—and I do myself—because, you know, I pride myself on trying to stay away from all that crap as well. But you can’t deny his skill. He’s definitely one of the greatest of all time, so you’re going to have to give Jon Jones that.

“So, Demetrius Johnson, Jon Jones… yeah, Georges St-Pierre has definitely got to be there.

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Alexander volkanovski adds Anderson Silva and Israel Adesanya to his MMA top five

Rounding out Volk’s list were inarguably the two best middleweight fighters in the history of the sport.

“And we’re running out of room! So, I said Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre… I’m going to have to throw Anderson Silva in there as well,” Volkanovski continued. “For me, when it comes to striking, I honestly think he’s the greatest striker the UFC’s ever seen.

So, um, I’m going to go Israel Adesanya as well. Am I missing someone? Who is it? Like, oh, you’ve got your options—you obviously have so many great champions. But that’s it! I said five. There you go. Let us know your five! Let us know what you think of my five. Locked it in. Locked it in!”

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Do you agree with Alexander Volkanovski’s top five? If not, who should be added? Or more importantly, who should be removed?

Joe Rogan Shocks with His Surprising UFC GOAT Picks: No GSP!

Joe Rogan Shocks with His Surprising UFC GOAT Picks: No GSP!When it comes to the undisputed GOATs of MMA, Joe Rogan has three names in mind — and none…

Joe Rogan Shocks with His Surprising UFC GOAT Picks: No GSP!

When it comes to the undisputed GOATs of MMA, Joe Rogan has three names in mind — and none of them are Jon Jones or Georges St-Pierre.

The debate over who should be hailed as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time has been raging on for years. Recently, Dana White made his opinion abundantly clear by dubbing ‘Bones’ Jones the undisputed GOAT and getting straight-up argumentative with anyone who disagreed.

But according to the longtime UFC color commentator, Jones doesn’t even rank in the top three.

During an episode of his ever-popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, the former Fear Factor host shared who he sees topping the list, starting with the best middleweight champion of all time, Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva.

“You gotta look at them in this window of time,” Rogan said. “And sometimes it’s just a few years where they’re accomplishing things in a way that it’s extraordinary you go, ‘I’ve never seen anybody better’. Anderson Silva, when he was in his prime, he was operating at a different speed than [his opponents]. He was processing things with like a 2024 computer, and they were using a Windows ’95” (h/t GiveMeSport).

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Up next for Rogan, and perhaps the most controversial pick, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“That’s just how good Khabib was (on his wins over Poirier & Gaethje),” Rogan continued. “He’s so good. It’s almost a tragedy that he never wants to fight again. He’ll go out, without a doubt, as one of the greatest to ever do it. If not the best ever, he’s definitely in the argument.”

The Eagle’ went 29-0 in his illustrious career and retired as the UFC lightweight world champion following a trio of successful title defenses against Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. However, some dispute Nurmagomedov’s status as one of MMA’s greats, noting his lack of notable opponents outside of the three names mentioned above.

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Joe Rogan closes out his list with flyweight great demetrious Johnson

Last but certainly not least for Rogan was Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson. As the UFC’s first-ever flyweight titleholder, successfully defended his belt an incredible 11 times, securing the record for most consecutive title defenses in promotional history.

Johnson also holds the record for most submission wins in UFC title fights and was just the second fighter in UFC history to capture performance bonuses in all four categories — Fight, Knockout, Performance, and Submission.

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“When he was in his prime, ‘Might Mouse’ was a motherf*cker to watch,” Rogan said. “He would do sh*t that no one could do. There’s not a champion alive that can do that [suplex] the way “Mighty Mouse” can do that. When [Johnson] fought [Henry] Cejudo the first time, it was a masterclass. I maintain that he is the finest expression of martial arts I have ever seen.”

Even after leaving the UFC, Johnson’s dominance continued under the ONE Championship banner. He went on to win the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix tournament before claiming the ONE flyweight championship.

He also competed in the promotion’s first-ever mixed-rules bout, scoring a second-round submission victory over Muay Thai icon Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

ONE Championship Announces Fight For Title Vacated After Demetrious Johnson’s Retirement

ONE Championship has announced that on March 23 at ONE 172, the promotion will crown a new flyweight champion in the co-main event of the evening. The title has been left vacant ever since Demetrious Johnson announced his retirement at the Ball Arena in Denver this past September at ONE 168. Following several high stakes […]

ONE Championship has announced that on March 23 at ONE 172, the promotion will crown a new flyweight champion in the co-main event of the evening. The title has been left vacant ever since Demetrious Johnson announced his retirement at the Ball Arena in Denver this past September at ONE 168.

Following several high stakes contests at flyweight, the two top contenders that will battle for the gold have emerged. Brazil’s Adriano Moraes is a multiple time flyweight champion in ONE and was the inaugural holder of the title back in 2014. In his latest title reign, he ended his trilogy of fights with Geje Eustaquio before becoming the first man to finish Johnson in 2021 which kickstarted their trilogy of fights.

Moraes recently returned to the win column in Johnson’s absence by beating Danny Kingad at ONE 169 in November via a submission in the second round. “Mikinho” is now set to face off with Japan’s Yuya Wakamatsu who is sure to receive an incredible amount of support at the Saitama Super Arena on March 23.

Wakamatsu previously challenged Moraes for the flyweight title in 2022 at ONE: X where he was submitted in the third round. After suffering back-to-back defeats, “Little Pranha” has won three in a row including a dominant victory at the start of December over Gilbert Nakatani.

This huge card is set to be headlined by arguably the biggest fight in the history of the promotion as Rodtang Jitmuangnon faces off with Takeru Segawa in a kickboxing super fight that has been building ever since their matchup at ONE 165 earlier this year fell through due to an injury to the Thai superstar. There is sure to be a lot more top Japanese talent on the card for what will be ONE’s biggest event to date.

“I’m Not the Best Flyweight Anymore” Demetrious Johnson Responds to Pantoja’s Callout with Modesty

“I’m Not the Best Flyweight Anymore” Demetrious Johnson Responds to Pantoja's Callout with ModestyMighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson has officially responded to the callout issued by UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC…

“I’m Not the Best Flyweight Anymore” Demetrious Johnson Responds to Pantoja's Callout with Modesty

Mighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson has officially responded to the callout issued by UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 310 and just says that he’s not the best anymore.

Demetrious Johnson Not the Best says ‘Mighty Mouse’

Former UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson held onto the title for a record-setting 11 consecutive defenses before making the move to ONE Championship, where he continued to prove his dominance by winning the ONE Flyweight World Championship and retired earlier this year.

Brazil’s Alexandre Pantoja captured the UFC Flyweight title in July 2023 by defeating Brandon Moreno and has since defended it successfully twice. He has been steadily establishing his own legacy in the flyweight division. After his last title defense at UFC 310, Pantoja called out ‘Mighty Mouse.’ Demetrious Johnson.

Dana White salutes Demetrious Johnson after retirement: 'I was defending him from the fans'

In response to Pantoja’s recent callout, Demetrious Johnson was unequivocal about his decision to retire. Speaking about his choice to leave the sport, ‘Mighty Mouse’ explained, “When I made that decision, that I don’t care to fight anymore, I gave myself a full-blown year, a full-blown-year, to see if I would miss it. And I didn’t miss it.” He emphasized that his decision to retire wasn’t about avoiding competition but about creating a more sustainable future for himself.

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‘Mighty Mouse’ continued:

“What I thought was more badass than being the best fighter in the world, I think it’s more badass to build an empire. If you’re an athlete and you are winning and you rely on the money you earn from winning, once you lose that fight half your pay is gone. Once any champion loses a fight, half their pay is gone. But that’s the beautiful thing that made me want to retire is that I don’t want to rely on my body or me being the best in the world in order to pay my bills.”

While acknowledging Pantoja’s impressive career, Johnson made it clear that he has no intention of returning to the sport. “I’m so happy for Alexandre Pantoja. I’m happy he just got his third title defense. I am not the best flyweight in the world anymore… And I’m happy to be retired. I ain’t going to be no Jose Aldo, I ain’t going to be no Donald Cerrone coming back to fighting. Ain’t no point to coming back to fighting.”

Fans will have to settle for watching Pantoja continue to build his legacy as the reigning UFC Flyweight Champion, while Johnson enjoys his well-deserved retirement.

Demetrious Johnson Reacts To Alexandre Pantoja’s Callout At UFC 310

It doesn’t appear that even the unstoppable Alexandre Pantoja can draw UFC flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson out of retirement. Pantoja further enhanced his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage this weekend, emerging victorious from the UFC 310 pay-per-view main event inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. Having begun his reign with successful defenses against Brandon […]

It doesn’t appear that even the unstoppable Alexandre Pantoja can draw UFC flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson out of retirement.

Pantoja further enhanced his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage this weekend, emerging victorious from the UFC 310 pay-per-view main event inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

Having begun his reign with successful defenses against Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg after dethroning Brandon Moreno in 2023, “The Cannibal” was dealt a unique challenge on Saturday night. Sharing the cage with him was a promotional newcomer in Kai Asakura.

The former Rizin bantamweight champion arrived with an impressive résumé and plenty of hype, and an early flying knee confirmed the Japanese star as an exciting addition to the division. But it wasn’t to be for Asakura in his debut, as he fell by way of submission to Pantoja in round two.

With that, Pantoja has firmly placed himself among the all-time greats and brought about some uncertainty over fresh opponent options in 2025. He proposed a solution to that during his Octagon interview, however, calling out “Mighty Mouse.”

Johnson — who enjoyed a record-breaking, six-year flyweight reign in the UFC before finding success in ONE Championship — was quick to react to “The Cannibal’s” comments, reiterating that he intends to stick to the retirement he announced at ONE 168 in Denver this past September.

“Guys I got offered 2 million dollars to fight!! I turned it down I don’t care to fight anymore YouTube video dropping soon,” Johnson wrote on X.

Of course, beyond just Johnson’s lack of interest in a comeback, there would be the small matter of his contractual situation with ONE, Asia’s largest martial arts organization. The likelihood of the promotion and its CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, releasing “Mighty Mouse” for a UFC return against Pantoja would appear extremely slim.

That hasn’t stopped fans getting behind Pantoja’s callout, though, with many pushing for the legendary former champ to make another walk to the cage in his illustrious career.