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

#3 He finishes fights

One of the earlier criticisms of Mighty Mouse was that he wasn’t a finisher, and earlier in his career you could argue that was the case. His first seven UFC fights went the distance, with DJ winning five, drawing one and losing one – at 135lbs, of course, to the great Dominick Cruz. Since then, though, he’s finished seven of ten bouts inside the distance, with a variety of violent finishes, too. Knockouts, kimuras and armbars are all on his ledger.

Other great champions – Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones to name three – had trouble finishing top contenders and middling ones alike, usually because those challengers would retract into a largely defensive gameplan once they realised they were outclassed.

St-Pierre, in particular, came under fire for his run of decisions from 2009 to 2013. Johnson has suffered from the same issue regarding his opponents at times, but he’s seemingly found a way around it.

The best part about Johnson’s finishing rate? The time in which he pulls them off. Of his seven title fight finishes, a remarkable four of them have come beyond the third round. DJ doesn’t simply force his opponents into a defensive shell – he smashes that shell open and never settles for a victory on the judges’ scorecards. That’s surely the mark of true greatness.