Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson profile

Demetrious Johnson was the first UFC flyweight champion and defended the belt eleven times in a row. Born in Madisonville, Kentucky on 13 August 1986, he finished his career 25-4-1 and is the only fighter ever traded between two major promotions.

The flyweight record that still stands

The UFC opened its flyweight division in 2012 and Johnson was the man who took the first belt. He then defended it eleven consecutive times, a UFC record at the time, and ran up thirteen straight wins at 125 pounds, which is still the divisional record.

At that weight he lost exactly once, a disputed split decision to Henry Cejudo, a man he had already knocked out.

Traded for Ben Askren

On 27 October 2018 the UFC traded Johnson to ONE Championship in exchange for former ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren. No promotion had ever traded a fighter for another before, and none has since.

He debuted at ONE: A New Era in Japan on 31 March 2019, submitting Yuya Wakamatsu with a guillotine in the second round, then won the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix that October with a dominant decision over Danny Kingad.

Two rounds of Muay Thai against Rodtang

In March 2022 ONE put him in against Rodtang Jitmuangnon under rules nobody else has tried: rounds one and three under Muay Thai, rounds two and four under MMA. Johnson took the rear-naked choke in round two, the first round where he was allowed to grapple.

Adriano Moraes had knocked him out with a knee in April 2021, the only knockout loss of his MMA career. Johnson answered it with a flying knee of his own in the fourth round to take the ONE flyweight title, then won the trilogy bout on points at ONE Fight Night 10.

Retirement, and the mats

He retired on stage at ONE 168 on 6 September 2024, and ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong named him the promotion's first Hall of Fame inductee that night.

He now competes in jiu-jitsu, where he took IBJJF Master World gold as a brown belt in 2023 before moving up to black belt under Bibiano Fernandes.

Record

Scope: Professional MMA · last verified 6 October 2026