Issue 100

April 2013

Let’s face it. Life is pretty good for Demetrious Johnson right now. He’s the UFC flyweight champion, he’s married to the girl of his dreams, and, as of this writing, expecting a son or daughter to bless them any day too. To boot, his main shorts sponsor is one of the largest video game system manufacturers in the world. 

This mouse is indeed mighty. 

Can things possibly get any better? “I’m always looking to improve my skills and keep getting better,” Johnson says to FO, in the aftermath of his first title defense against John Dodson as the main event of UFC on Fox in Chicago in January. “I’m never satisfied, because things can change very quickly.”

In Chicago, the way the fight unfolded underscored just how fickle fate is, but is also symbolic of Johnson’s career arc and bright future. He’s never been given anything to arrive at his place on the mountain, and at the United Center, he earned every bit of it. But before he can look ahead, he might have to look back at just how tantalizing close he came to falling off that mountain. 

Lord of the flies

Watching flyweights fight is like trying to catch a couple of hummingbirds joust. Everything is sudden, explosive, and blurred. And even though Johnson was able to bring Dodson to the mat several times, he scored only one takedown, as the Greg Jackson prodigy was able to effectively escape several single-legs and come back with flurries of strikes. 

At 16-2-1, Johnson’s only loss in the UFC was to Dominick Cruz, for the UFC bantamweight championship. The loss stung, if not for adding just a second loss to his record, then for the decisiveness with which Cruz defeated him. Losing was not an option.

But after round one in Chicago, though Johnson probably didn’t know it himself, he was losing on the scorecards. In round two, things got even more decisive. Dodson caught Johnson with a couple of solid left hooks, with Mighty Mouse hitting the canvas twice. In press row, the buzz had already turned to “Dodson’s going to win this fight!”

It was an unfamiliar place for Johnson, but he was down and not out. What seemed to bother him most was Dodson’s movement. He couldn’t score any solid punches despite continually marching into Dodson’s strikes. He needed to close the distance. “He hit me pretty good a couple of times,” Johnson admits. “I was stunned but I am in great shape and my head cleared very quick. He’s very tough, very strong.” 

Johnson made the adjustment and used the championship rounds to make his statement. A dozen Muay Thai knee strikes later, and he was still the champ. Even Dodson knew it. “I don’t think I won. Some people have said that – but I don’t think so,” Dodson told FO. “I think it was close, and there was one round in it, so it was close.”?

Close enough for Johnson, who sounded perturbed at his performance. He’ll train even harder at his home gym AMC Pankration. He says: “I hit him with a lot of knees late on but he’s very tough. I noticed some mistakes and I paid dearly for them. So I have to go back home and work on things. Gotta work on my ground game and get better in the clinch. But right now it’s time to heal up and get better. That’s all it is.”

One five-minute round. That’s how close Demetrious Johnson came to falling off the mountain.

So, who's next?

With his victory over Dodson and wins over Ian McCall and Joseph Benevidez, Johnson’s all but cleaned out the original UFC flyweight tournament’s top contenders. But talk of ‘cleaning out the division’ after beating just three fighters – albeit the trio highest ranked at 125lb – is a bit premature.

“John Dodson and Demetrious Johnson are two of the fastest guys on the planet,” UFC President Dana White says. “I don’t know how anyone can question the flyweights. But I don’t know who’s next for [Johnson].”

White famously said about the flyweight tournament championship between Benevidez and Johnson: “Let me tell you what, if you didn’t like that flyweight fight, please, I’m begging you, don’t ever buy another UFC pay-per-view again. I don’t want your money. You’re a moron. You don’t like fighting. You don’t appreciate talent.” 

Thus, it seems to fall to Johnson, as the division’s inaugural champion to be the flag bearer. And he’s relishing the opportunity. “Look, just because I beat John Dodson and other guys doesn’t mean I won’t fight them again,” Johnson says. “I’ll fight anyone who the UFC puts in front of me.”

That could mean a reunion with Benevidez, who narrowly lost the flyweight tournament to Johnson by split decision. Also, up-and-coming John Moraga (13-1-0) is a possibility. “Absolutely. Moraga, Ian McCall, Benevidez, even John Dodson again, are all fine,” Johnson admits. “I’m here to fight. I’m here to show the world the flyweight division is a top, premier division. And I think me and John Dodson showed the world that we’re both well-rounded. He has some power; I think my clinch game looked great, my wrestling looked good.”

As with other champions who appear to have defeated their best challengers, such as middleweight champ Anderson Silva or light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, talk of moving up in weight class always seems to surface, perhaps even to avenge an earlier loss. But Johnson isn’t interested in dueling Dominic Cruz back up at bantamweight when Cruz – currently sidelined by a knee injury – is healthy again. His goals are little forward-looking. And with a child imminent, family sounds like it will take precedence.

“Not at all. My goals are to stay healthy and get ready for the next person they put in front of me,” Johnson states. “But more importantly, I want to be a good husband and father. I’m just focused on becoming a complete martial artist and use my gifts and talent to build up my brand and my career in a good way.”

That brand took a significant leap in Chicago the minute he started his walk to the Octagon.

X marks the spot

Its neon green ‘X’ is almost as familiar as Nike’s iconic swoosh. Indeed, Microsoft revealed in early January at the Consumer Electronics Show it has surpassed 66 million Xbox 360 game consoles sold worldwide since its launching in 2005. Xbox boasts 44 million members in its Xbox Live membership – or in simple terms, all the people playing against you online.

So you might have seen recently Johnson make a cameo appearance in a commercial for Xbox. Yeah, you know the one – the commercial that shows a primed-up Johnson ready to do battle with hands taped and sweat pouring. The voice-over says: “People might have doubted me at first. They thought I wasn’t ready. I’ve had no choice but to win. I’ve risen from the ashes. And just like every champion, I’ve got my weapon of choice.”

Cut to Johnson playing the new Xbox Tomb Raider game with his old beat-up controller, after which he smiles and reveals a neon green mouthpiece with ‘XBOX’ emblazoned across his grill. Johnson has become the face – or at least one of the faces – of the computer/video game giant. 

In an industry where fighters are selling off panels from their fight shorts or wearing three layers of clothing from the latest fly-by-night T-shirt company, Johnson has now eschewed the NASCAR-ism of MMA and followed in Jon Jones’ and Georges St-Pierre’s footsteps with one clear elite ‘partnership.’ 

Scoff at the notion that Xbox or Microsoft isn’t as big as bagging a Nike or Under Armour as a marketing partner. But with 44 million gamers out there waiting to be introduced to the next UFC Undisputed game (with EA Sports), at some point in the near future, Johnson will already have a very captive audience. That captive audience brings serious dollars. “I’m very blessed to have Xbox as a partner,” Johnson says. “They’re great guys and it’s a great product. I had so much fun doing the ‘Weapon of Choice’ piece with the Tomb Raider commercial. But we’re just doing some great things with them.”

As an avid gamer himself, Johnson widens his appeal as well as can widen the appeal of MMA – the UFC in particular – to a whole new audience that might have been previously incognizant of the sport. And he can do all this right in his backyard up in the great northwest.

And baby makes three

With the Dodson fight consigned to history, Johnson turns his attention inward. Two days after the fight his wife Destiny tweets a photo of him and her, revealing whether they would be having a boy or girl. The box between their feet has a sign that reads: ‘Boy or Girl?’

Fittingly, Destiny’s Twitter handle is @MightyWife. The pair holds a bouquet of blue balloons. The tweet says: “@MightyMouseUFC & I are excited to announce our sweet Mighty Boy on the way”

As any parent can attest, he will be a handful. Perhaps Mighty Mouse Jr. will be the one flyweight that can give Johnson a run for his money. At just 26 years old, Johnson has just scratched the surface of his potential and in many ways, still in the nascent stages of his career. But like Jones and St Pierre, he is realistic to know that while fighting is his job, his camp is always looking for other career opportunities to explore. Johnson’s charisma and appeal is cross-demographic. If the Tomb Raider commercial is any indication, perhaps a post-fight career in movies?

“I’m just trying to be a good guy and make a living,” Johnson said. “Obviously my career is fighting and my guys want to see me do well for myself. But if we branch off and some things arise, that’s fantastic. Look, I can’t fight forever. But if I start doing pieces and roles here and there and building my brand and portfolio, who’s knows? I’m welcome any opportunities. I’m open-minded. The sky’s the limit.”

Timeline

1986

Born Demetrious Khrisna Johnson in Madisonville, Kentucky on August 13th 1986.

1999

Began his wrestling career in eighth grade, only losing one match and taking first in the district wrestling finals.

2000 

Won USA Junior Freestyle Championship at 165lb in 2001 and 2002.

2003

Joined the Oklahoma State wrestling team and gained a perfect 10-0 record for the year.

September 2007

Made his professional MMA debut against Victor Rackliff in Oklahoma-based fight promotion Masters of the Cage. Won by TKO due to punches in the third round.

March 2008

Fought Richard Gamble in Xtreme Fight League. His first televised fight and his first and only submission win – Hendricks sunk in a D’Arce choke in round one.

December 2008

Made his debut for the now-defunct WEC against Justin Haskins and continued his streak of finishes with a second-round TKO.

March 2009

Went the distance for the first time in his professional career in the final ever WEC welterweight fight, decisioning Alex Serdyukov.

August 2009

Debuted in the UFC against TUF 8 winner Amir Sadollah and won by round-one TKO. Referee Dan Miragliotta’s stoppage was debated by some.

December 2009

Rag-dolled Ricardo Funch for three rounds at UFC 107, showing everyone his wrestling skills in a clear-cut three-round decision.

August 2010

Clashed with Charlie Brenneman at UFC 117. After a back-and-forth first, Hendricks added another finish to his record in the second.

December 2010

At the TUF 12 Finale Rick ‘The Horror’ Story hands Hendricks his first loss, via unanimous decision.

December 2011

Entered UFC 141 opposite Jon Fitch as an underdog, only to come away with an extremely impressive 12-second upset knockout.    

May 2012

Fought against longtime contender Josh Koscheck and won a split decision, defeating a second consensus top-10 fighter.   

November 2012

KO’d Martin Kampmann in 46 seconds at UFC 154.