Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is a true student of the game, so when he hopped on his YouTube channel to share his views on the greatest MMA fighters of all time, we sat up and took notice.
Johnson, whose stellar career continues under the ONE Championship banner following an incredible run as the undisputed UFC flyweight champion, is currently the ONE flyweight champion, and also claimed victory over Muay Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a special mixed-rules fight.
Johnson’s wealth of experience at the highest level of the sport means that his opinion carries significant weight, and his list gave an interesting insight into his thought process as he listed his all-time top four, including himself.
Anderson Silva
Now, who I have at my number four for greatest of all time, it's going to have to be… oh God, I hate doing this… I'm going to go with Anderson Silva.
I think Anderson Silva was absolutely amazing in his time, what he’s been able to do. My criteria for being the goat is very, very long, but Anderson Silva makes it. He’s got knockout wins, he’s got submission wins, he’s got decision wins. He is my number four.
Georges St-Pierre
Then, when we go to number three, I'm going to have to go with George St-Pierre. Becoming a two-divisional champion at welterweight and also middleweight. Taking a long extensive layoff to come back to beat Michael Bisping and become the middleweight champion.
And, once again, he has wins by knockout, submission, and also decision.
Demetrious Johnson
At number two, you have yours truly. Moi, Demetrious Johnson. Nobody has been able to do what I’ve been able to do in the flyweight division, or in any division.
Eleven consecutive title defenses, created a brand new move that none of you guys had ever seen, the ‘Mighty Whizzbar’ – shoutout to Matt Hume who helped me learn that move.
I have wins by knockout, submission, gone to a decision, gone to a split draw, whatever you want to call it.”
I’ll take my best version of Demetrious Johnson against the best prime Anderson Silva, because, let me tell you what. If you have prime Demetrious Johnson, and Thales Leites goes to his back and wants to pull guard, you best believe my black ass isn’t going to tell him to stand up. I'm gonna go right in his guard and I'm gonna bust his guard up with my jiu-jitsu.
I just think what I've been able to do and mixed martial arts, everyone's gonna have that one discussion of like, ‘Oh well, the competition that you fought isn't as good as theirs.’ That's like saying Michael Jordan wouldn’t have been successful if he was to play against guys like Steph Curry. LeBron James, the list just goes on.
For me to have 11 consecutive title defenses and always look for the finish against my opponents – against the Kyoji Horiguchi, Chris Cariaso, John Dodson, Henry Cejudo, the list goes on – and be able to go to a different organization where I’m fighting at 135 (pounds) I’m fighting bigger opponents, different ruleset, was able to win a World Grand Prix, which is tournament-style, three fights in one year, then turn around and fight for the belt, got knocked out, I came back, knocked the guy out. And then I defended the belt.
And then, after that, I go do an IBJJF Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament, my first time in a gi. Brown belt masters, at 37 years old, and I go out there and I win it. Not one point got scored on me, not any one of those fighters, not even Jon Jones himself, would do that and be able to pass with flying colors.
So I think the ability for me to be able to transition into different things is what’s put me above those guys. But typically, I don’t put myself above people. Since we’re having this discussion, I was like, hell, I’ll go ahead and argue for myself, and why I believe I’m in that top four.
Jon Jones
And then, for my number one, I have Jon ‘Bones’ Jones. That is the only man I’ll put ahead of me, because this man, I feel like any single time he has been inside the cage, he could just destroy his opponent however he wanted.
He also has wins by knockout, putting people to sleep, decisions, everything on the list.
The only thing that can hurt Jon Jones, and everybody would probably agree with this, is just the accusation of the PEDs. But it was only a picogram!
Besides that, I don’t think there's anybody that actually had an opportunity to threaten him. I know he's getting ready to fight Stipe Miocic. He has gone up to heavyweight. I truly believe he could have been a heavyweight champion a long time ago.
I remember sitting there watching him fight and I'm like, ’He can pull guard, he can do whatever he wants to this guy, but he's just taking this time.’ That's why Jon Jones is going to be my all-time number one.
