“Don’t need it anymore” - American legend Demetrious Johnson says he’ll stop his sparring sessions after retiring from MMA

Demetrious Johnson is slowing down on his mixed martial arts training.

The MMA legend revealed on Instagram that he'll stop his sparring sessions after his recent medical check-up at the end of 2024.

Johnson goes through regular check-ups to ensure his brain remains in its healthiest condition, and he posted on Instagram that this year is no different.

Nevertheless, Johnson decided to stop sparring in the gym to preserve his condition as he ventured into a new chapter in his career.

"Another year of checking on my 🧠 health still looking good booiiisss!! New year resolution no more sparring, don’t need it anymore. 😊," posted Demetrious Johnson.

'Mighty Mouse' is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, and the only person to win world titles in both ONE Championship and the UFC.

After becoming the inaugural UFC flyweight world champion, Johnson defended the strap 11 straight times before moving to ONE Championship in 2018.

His spell in ONE Championship furthered his legacy when he became the ONE Flyweight MMA World Grand Prix champion in 2019 and the ONE flyweight MMA world champion in 2022.

Johnson, though, knows the harsh realities of a cutthroat sport such as MMA and he's determined to prevent any brain injuries or mental health problems in his later years.

The 38-year-old started his professional career in 2009 and had his last MMA match in May 2023 when he retained the ONE flyweight MMA world title against Adriano Moraes at ONE Fight Night 10 in Denver.

After stepping away from MMA, Johnson turned his attention to Brazilian jiu-jitsu where he's won multiple gold medals in the Masters division of the IBJJF.

---

Demetrious Johnson admits he doesn't have the itch to return to MMA

While some fighters and fans believe he can still dominate the sport, Demetrious Johnson is adamant that he's never returning to MMA.

Johnson told MMA Fighting he's content with the indelible legacy he left in MMA and that he has no plans of ever competing in the sport.

"Don’t get me wrong, I can still train. I’m gonna go hit pads tomorrow because I can. Because I’m healthy enough, I can still move and fight if I wanted to, but I think the best part about that is that I can choose whether to fight or not, where a lot of fighters are like, 'Man, I got to fight' or 'What else am I gonna do with my life?' There’s so much more I can do in my life besides fighting."