“It's like talking to a brick wall” - Demetrious Johnson says acknowledging mental health made him a better person

ONE flyweight MMA world champion Demetrious Johnson has had his struggles with mental health but said he began handling it better when he started opening up about it to the people around him and sharing his feelings.

It was something he touched on in the latest episode of his YouTube podcast, which was recorded in Hawaii and done with now-retired ONE Championship superstar Angela Lee that dropped on Wednesday.

Johnson highlighted that acknowledging how crucial dealing with mental health is made him a better person in the various roles he play in life.

He said:

"Yeah. I think one of the biggest things is obviously being open. But, like I said earlier during the show, I was always- my wife said, 'It's like talking to a brick wall.' Like, you don't express your feelings, right?"

Check out what he had to say below, beginning at 1:00:20:

Demetrious Johnson, 37, has not been competing of late in ONE Championship but maintains he is still active and not yet retired. He said he is just enjoying work-life balance at this stage of his illustrious career and appreciating his life's work.

'Mighty Mouse' was last in ONE action in May last year in the United States, where he successfully defended the flyweight MMA gold against Brazilian rival Adriano Moraes in their trilogy title fight.

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Demetrious Johnson staying ready for possible return to action at some point

Demetrious Johnson has not committed yet on a possible return to MMA action anytime soon but said he is keeping himself ready just in case something "fun" comes along.

He shared this in an interview with MMA Junkie earlier this year, underscoring that he is still open to competing in MMA and is continuously training while also shoring up other facets of his game, particularly jiu-jitsu.

Johnson said:

"I'm always going to leave that door open because something might land in my lap or, 'Oh that sounds fun! Let's make it happen.' So I'm still training, still staying fresh, and learning more in no-gi in jiu-jitsu. But we'll see."

Demetrious Johnson was last in MMA action in May 2023, headlining ONE Championship's first-ever live on-ground event in the United States. But while he has stepped back from MMA for now, the American fighter has been busy doing jiu-jitsu and has had his fair share of success.