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Demetrious Johnson reigns as the current ONE flyweight champion. 'Mighty Mouse' recently closed out the trilogy between him and former titleholder Adriano Moraes by scoring a second consecutive victory over the towering Brazilian, leaving no room for doubt as to who the better fighter is.
While Johnson has found a new life in the world of Asian MMA, his initial rise to mixed martial arts glory took place in the UFC. Prior to competing under Dana White's banner, Demetrious Johnson was an unknown commodity. Afterwards, he embarked on one of the greatest-ever runs in the promotion.
The likes of Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva are often hailed for their exploits as all-time great UFC champions. However, Demetrious Johnson is just as deserving of that praise. Thus, this list compiles five reasons why 'Mighty Mouse' is one of the greatest UFC champions in history.
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#5. Demetrious Johnson has the most submission wins in UFC title fights
Neither undefeated lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov nor Olympic judoka Ronda Rousey can boast to have the most submission wins in UFC title fight history. The two icons are among the most dominant grapplers ever seen in the promotion. At the peak of their careers, they seemed unstoppable.
Yet, it is another fighter entirely, who holds the record for the most-ever submissions in UFC title fights. That distinction goes to former UFC flyweight kingpin, Demetrious Johnson, who is tied with reigning heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones for the record, with the two men each having four UFC title submission wins.
In 'Mighty Mouse's' case, he submitted the likes of Ray Borg, Wilson Reis, Chris Cariaso, and former Bellator and Rizin bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi to bring his tally to four wins via tapout.
#4. He has the third-most wins in UFC title fight history
From the dawn of the promotion in the 90s, all the way to now, there have only ever been two fighters who amassed more wins in UFC title fights than Demetrious Johnson. Only arguable MMA GOAT Jon Jones and welterweight legend Georges St-Pierre have more wins in title fights under Dana White's banner.
'Bones' holds 15 such wins, while 'GSP' has 13. Demetrious Johnson does not fall far behind, with 12 such wins to his name. In terms of UFC title wins, he is a top-three achiever. Even middleweight great Anderson Silva and women's MMA GOAT Amanda Nunes haven't matched 'Mighty Mouse' in this regard.
Some would even argue that had Johnson stuck around, he may have extended his number of title fight wins in the promotion. Unfortunately, the all-time great journeyed to Asia to conquer another promotion.
#3. Demetrious Johnson is the undisputed GOAT of his division
To become a great champion, a fighter must establish their dominance over their division. Whether that entails amassing a long list of divisional records during one's championship reign or racking up title defenses, all-time great champions are always unquestionably greater than everyone else in their division.
This is the case with Demetrious Johnson. No one has more UFC flyweight title wins than 'Mighty Mouse'. Furthermore, he holds the record for the most consecutive wins in the 125-pound division's history, the most overall wins in the weight class, the most finishes, submissions, and even post-fight bonuses.
From a statistical standpoint, there is no denying Johnson's dominance over the UFC flyweight division. He even holds the record for the most takedowns in the weight class' history, an accolade he shares with former foe Tim Elliot.
#2. He has created memorable moments
Most great UFC champions have fights or moments they create that are permanently burned into the memories of MMA fans. No one will ever forget Anderson Silva's striking masterclass against Forrest Griffin. Similarly, no one will forget Jon Jones dethroning Maurício 'Shogun' Rua.
In doing so, 'Bones' became the youngest champion in UFC history. It's a moment that lives on in MMA folklore. Similarly, Demetrious Johnson created memories of his own. At UFC 216, 'Mighty Mouse' scored one of the most spectacular and inimitable victories ever seen in MMA.
After securing a back-take against Ray Borg, he suplexed his foe. While his opponent was midair, 'Mighty Mouse' transitioned into an armbar, trapping Borg's left arm before he ever hit the mat. Seconds later, Borg tapped out. Several fights before that, he handed Henry Cejudo his first-ever professional MMA loss.
Against Kyoji Horiguchi, Demetrious Johnson captured the record for the latest-ever finish in the UFC by submitting him with one second left in the fight.
#1. Demetrious Johnson has more title defenses than any other UFC champion
Years ago, Anderson Silva was the frontrunner for the most-ever consecutive UFC title defenses. 'The Spider' extended his run to 10 straight title defenses and seemed destined for more until Chris Weidman stepped into the octagon and scored one of the greatest upsets in MMA history by KO'ing the Brazilian.
Meanwhile, Jon Jones' own lengthy stretch of consecutive title defenses was snapped after he was stripped of his light heavyweight strap for violating the promotion's code of conduct. Only Demetrious Johnson managed to succeed where he failed.
After defeating Ray Borg, 'Mighty Mouse' claimed the record for the most consecutive title defenses, with 11 to his name. No champion has defended their title consecutively more than him. In fact, no champion has defended their title more than him at all.
