MMA legend Demetrious Johnson says “jiu-jitsu is the most powerful” martial arts base for kids to start in MMA

MMA legend and ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson has a newfound appreciation for jiu-jitsu, so much so that he now believes it is a solid foundation to start in MMA, particularly for kids.

'Mighty Mouse' reiterated this in the latest episode of his Mighty podcast, which was recorded in Hawaii with now-retired ONE Championship superstar Angela Lee and dropped on Wednesday.

Johnson said that if he is to allow his kids to compete in MMA, he wants jiu-jitsu to be their base, describing it as the strongest martial arts discipline. He shared:

"But all the art forms, I think jiu-jitsu is the most powerful one, right? Like, I think stand-up rhythm, all that stuff. You know he's black (son Tyren). He's gonna have to figure that out. Put him with some hip-hop music and teach him how to distance control the void. He'll be good to go. But I feel like jiu-jitsu and wrestling are the ones that you have to have..."

Check out what he had to say below, beginning at 9:50:

Demetrious Johnson was last in action in ONE Championship in May last year in the United States, where he successfully defended the ONE flyweight world title against Brazilian rival Adriano Moraes in their trilogy title fight.

However, he has been competing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has had his fair share of success, including winning gold in the brown belt Master 2 featherweight class at the 2024 IBJJF Pan Championship in Florida in March.

---

Demetrious Johnson open to competing in submission grappling in ONE

Now active in competitng in jiu-jitsu, ONE flyweight MMA world champion Demetrious Johnson said battling in submission grappling matches in ONE Championship is something he may consider.

He shared this in an episode of his podcast earlier this year, where he brought up the diverse offering available in the 'Home of Martial Arts' besides his traditional lane of MMA, saying:

"You know, ONE Championship they have Brazilian jiu-jitsu and no-gi grappling so I could do that."

If ever Johnson does decide to compete in submission grappling in ONE, a willing opponent is reigning flyweight king Mikey Musumeci, who has expressed his desire to face 'Mighty Mouse' in a grappling super fight.