“There’s so much more I can do” - Demetrious Johnson says desire to fight in MMA has long deserted his psyche

Fans clamor for it and fighters often believe he could still dominate, but Demetrious Johnson is adamant his retirement from MMA is permanent.

The MMA legend announced his retirement in September this year after establishing one of the greatest legacies the sport has ever seen.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, the former ONE flyweight MMA world champion said he found a renewed sense of freedom since he officially stepped away from MMA during ONE 168: Denver's broadcast at Ball Arena in Colorado.

Demetrious Johnson said:

"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."

Johnson has since carved a career in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and earned multiple gold medals in the IBJJF circuit.

He's also succeeded in growing his YouTube channel, Mighty, from exclusively airing footage of his gaming sessions to having full-blown interviews with fellow fighters and in-depth fight analyses.

Regarded as one of the few fighters who can lay claim to being the greatest of all time, Johnson is the only person in MMA history to capture world titles in both ONE Championship and the UFC.

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Demetrious Johnson shares poignant advice he received from Georges St-Pierre

Demetrious Johnson didn't retire from MMA without the advice of one of his most trusted friends.

In the same interview with MMA Fighting, Johnson asked fellow MMA legend Georges St-Pierre for advice before he made his career decision.

"When I talked to GSP, he was somebody who inspired me to retire and someone who still inspires me to this day. He was like, ‘If you were to come back to fight and make money, there are millions of ways to make money.’ And I’m realizing that now. And I’ve always been smart with my finances, and yeah there’s no point in coming back and fighting."

Watch Johnson's entire interview below: