5 reasons why Demetrious Johnson is the greatest MMA fighter of all time

#2 He makes his opponents look like amateurs

One of the other contenders for the ‘greatest’ title is Georges St-Pierre and one of the biggest supporting factors for him was always that he made great opponents look like amateurs. Well, DJ does that too and he does it just as well.

Take Joseph Benavidez for instance. He lost to Johnson in the inaugural Flyweight title match in 2012 but then went on a run of violence, with two brutal knockouts in three fights to earn another title shot. And in that rematch? Johnson sparked him out cold in under three minutes.

John Dodson? He was renowned for being the quickest guy on the roster, the hardest hitting man at 125lbs, and yet in his title match at UFC 191, he could barely lay a finger on Mighty Mouse, who simply jabbed him to death using superior striking skills. Watching the fight, you’d never have known Dodson was a great striker.

Likewise Henry Cejudo – an Olympic gold medallist in wrestling, who only got one takedown on Johnson before he was eaten alive in the clinch – an area some would’ve given him an advantage in on paper.

Basically, nobody has looked like they’re in Johnson’s league since Dodson at the start of 2013, and he was vanquished with ease in the subsequent rematch. Everyone from Moraga to Bagautinov to Cejudo to Borg has been thoroughly outclassed.

And while GSP’s later title defences against Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz and Johny Hendricks seemed much tougher for him than his earlier ones, DJ’s still making opponents look silly after five years with the belt. It almost seems unfair.