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Demetrious Johnson plans to continue expanding his budding Brazilian jiu-jitsu career following his MMA retirement.
Last Friday, Sept. 6, was an emotional night for Johnson, as he officially retired from mixed martial arts. The former ONE flyweight MMA world champion made a special appearance at ONE 168: Denver to make the announcement and received a standing ovation from the passionate North American crowd.
'Mighty Mouse' won't be fighting in MMA again, but he's not done competing in combat sports. Over the last year, Johnson has fallen in love with jiu-jitsu and showcased his skills in several high-level tournaments.
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Following his retirement announcement, Johnson posted a video on YouTube to further explain his decision. The MMA legend had this to say about his plans to continue competing in jiu-jitsu moving forward:
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"I'm gonna continue to do it, I’m gonna continue to do martial arts. It's not like I'm gonna stop. It's just, you know, a couple of guys that I talked to.. Urijah Faber said there's only a short amount of time you get to be a professional athlete and to be able to compete at the highest level."
Demetrious Johnson's retirement was one of various special moments that took place at ONE 168: Denver. For those who haven't witnessed the event, North American and Canadian viewers can watch the replay for free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch Johnson's entire previously mentioned YouTube video below:
Demetrious Johnson first person to be inducted into ONE Championship Hall of Fame
Demetrious Johnson surprised fans with his announcement to retire from mixed martial arts. Meanwhile, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong caught 'Mighty Mouse' off guard on the same night by showcasing a tribute video for him and revealing he'd be the first superstar in the promotion's Hall of Fame.
It's unclear how often people will be added to ONE Championship's Hall of Fame. With that said, there's no argument that Johnson was deserving of the honor, as he produced an unforgettable trilogy series with Adrian Moraes and battled with ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang in a special-rules bout.
