ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson is larger than life.
‘Mighty Mouse’, after all, is in the pantheon of the elite and in the conversation among the greatest mixed martial artists to ever lace a pair of gloves.
Despite his rockstar status in MMA circles, the unassuming 36-year-old stays grounded and seems to be your typical everyman when he’s not kicking butt in front of a global audience.
As ONE Championship finally makes its long-awaited on-site debut on United States soil, it’s only fitting to have its biggest star headline the historic card.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Johnson will meet his rival Adriano Moraes for the third and perhaps final time at ONE Fight Night 10 on Prime Video on May 5 at the 1stBank Center in Colorado. As always, Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can witness the entire spectacle live in US primetime, free of charge.
With the grudge match of the century just a month away, let’s get to know Demetrious Johnson on a deeper level.
#5. Demetrious Johnson is a true gamer at heart
‘DJ’ is pretty much a household name across the globe, but his fanbase is actually split into two factions.
There are those who know him as the badass MMA world champion, while the other half recognize him as a popular online gamer/streamer.
Johnson has never been shy about embracing his geeky side through his love for video games.
In fact, the 36-year-old American has built quite an empire online, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers on his gaming platforms.
His page, Mighty Gaming, is growing by the day. Johnson has even bared his desire to become a professional eSports competitor when he finally decides to hang his gloves.
#4. Family comes first for Demetrious Johnson
Despite his insanely busy schedule, Johnson always puts his family first above anything he has going on.
The Washington native has openly admitted in interviews that the only thing that could make him walk away from fighting right now is fatherhood.
A proud dad to three beautiful children, ‘DJ’ spends his every waking moment trying to be the best father he can be.
With Johnson fighting on US soil for the first time in five years, his entire brood will be cheering their lungs out live at 1stBank Center.
#3. Demetrious Johnson wouldn’t be where he is today without his wife
Behind every great man is a great woman, which couldn’t be any truer for ‘Mighty Mouse’.
Johnson met the love of his life, Destiny, at a Red Lobster 15 years ago, and his life changed forever.
Through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, Destiny remained devoted to ‘DJ’ and made her fair share of sacrifices to make sure Johnson became the best fighter he could be.
Johnson, for his part, has always publicly acknowledged his wife as the glue that kept their household together throughout his fighting years.
#2. Demetrious Johnson overcame an abusive childhood
Things weren’t always smooth sailing for Johnson, particularly during his formative years. The AMC Pankration product never met his biological father and was raised by an abusive stepfather.
Violence was the norm in their house growing up, which eventually toughened him up at a young age. Despite those dark times, Johnson never developed feelings of resentment towards his abuser.
Instead, he treats that unfortunate experience as a lesson on how to become the best parent he can be for his two sons and youngest daughter.
#1. Demetrious Johnson was raised by a deaf single mother
Johnson is one of the most positive human beings on planet Earth, something he attributes to his loving mother.
The multi-time MMA world champion cites his mother as his biggest inspiration in whatever he does.
Karen Johnson, who was born deaf, held down multiple jobs just to keep the family afloat.
‘DJ’ learned the value of hard work and perseverance at a young age, which later became his recipe for success in MMA.