Mixed martial arts legend Demetrious Johnson recently sat down with world-renowned comedian Joe Rogan on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE). The two discussed why 'Mighty Mouse' left the UFC, letting go of trying to be perfect, and much more.
Many MMA fans were in a state of shock when the news regarding 'Mighty Mouse' leaving the UFC to join ONE Championship broke, a few years back. In the episode, the ONE flyweight champion details his last UFC bout against Henry Cejudo.
Later on in their discussion, Johnson revealed his mindset following the 2021 loss to Adriano Moraes. A critical factor in allowing him to move on was making the decision to stop trying to be perfect—and to just have more fun competing.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Interestingly, 'Mighty Mouse' and Rogan delved into what the athlete might do after retiring from MMA. The 36-year-old mentioned taking part in IBJJF to scratch his competitive itch.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Mikey Musumeci?
Another possibility that recently arose is competing in submission grappling. In fact, one of the world's very best grapplers, Mikey Musumeci, respectfully called him out. Musumeci had this to say after his victory at ONE on Prime Video 2:
“I know me and him could bring the MMA and jiu-jitsu fans together and it would be just be a historic, incredible event. It would be an honor to step on the mat with him.”
Johnson quickly responded to the callout via Twitter, penning:
A grappling match between Musumeci and 'Mighty Mouse' would move mountains for the world of submission grappling. The former is a rising star, while the latter is a bona fide legend of the game. Millions will tune in to watch this contest.
Johnson is 5-1 since joining ONE back in 2019. He is fresh off avenging his loss to Moraes with a highlight flying knee finish, which began with a picture-perfect right cross.
Be sure to watch out for an announcement regarding Demetrious Johnson's next fight. Will it be a flyweight title defense? Or will it be a submission grappling bout?
Check out a clip from the episode featuring Demetrious Johnson below: