Demetrious Johnson explains why he prefers gi over no-gi: “I ain’t blowing my ACL out”

While most mixed martial artists shun away from the gi, ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson embraces it.

‘Mighty Mouse’, who has long been vocal about his love for the traditional kimono, recently showed his passion for ‘The Gentle Art’ by winning gold at the 2023 World Master IBJFF Jiu-Jitsu Championships last weekend.

While Johnson made a name for himself in combat sports minus the gi, it’s not hard to see why he was smitten by it.After all, there are certain techniques that you can only perform in the gi.

Plus, BJJ gi practitioners can appreciate the technical aspect of the sport more since it focuses on grips, leverage, and overall technique execution, instead of just relying on raw strength, speed, and athleticism.

Of course, no-gi enthusiasts claim that training without the kimono allows them to be free and loose, and it’s closer to a real-life scenario. To each his own, right?

Demetrius Johnson, who turned 37 this year, has one specific reason why he now prefers gi training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

He shared in a video uploaded by FloGrappling:

“No-gi, I’m basically half-a** naked, just sliding through the guard and it’s all heel hooks and I ain’t blowing my ACL out.”

Watch the full clip:

To be fair, BJJ is a full-contact sport so injuries are quite prevalent in both gi and no-gi. ‘DJ’, though, is on point about his observations, since wearing the gi prevents opponents from slithering out of positions simply because they’re slippery from sweat.

Moreover, the evolution of leg locks is a big part of the no-gi revolution, as we’ve seen in ONE’s burgeoning submission grappling scene.

While Johnson obviously prefers the gi, we’d all love to see him compete in no-gi in an all-grappling affair inside the circle.