Demetrious Johnson’s Reign: Mighty Mouse’s Record-Breaking Title Run.
The time when Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse Johnson’ ruled the cage as the UFC Flyweight Champion is arguably the best and most meaningful period in the history of mixed martial arts, or MMA. Johnson’s skill, speed, technique, and fight IQ made him one of the best fighters in history. This shows his dominance of the title run and his superiority in the sport for such a long time. This essay is aimed at describing the process of Johnson’s rise to the top, his outstanding title defenses, as well as the changes he brought to the flyweight division and the world of MMA in general. First Fight as a Professional and Journey to Flyweight ChampionDemetrious Johnson started his professional MMA career in 2006, and over the years, he has shown the world that he is an all-round talented fighter. Initially, Johnson competed in the bantamweight category, or division, and he experienced some difficulties because of his size. Nevertheless, he demonstrated his incredible athletic ability and skills in ground fighting and became a notorious, persistent, and extremely efficient wrestler. The new division of the UFC was launched in 2011, which included the flyweight division for fighters who weighed 125 pounds or less. This new division created a perfect opportunity for Johnson to fight other fighters in the same weight class. Thus, the start of Johnson in the flyweight division can be traced back to March 2012, when he was part of the four-man tournament to determine the first UFC flyweight champion. Johnson won the title by defeating Ian McCall in the rematch and then Joseph Benavidez in the final to become the first UFC flyweight champion in September 2012. The title Reign BeginsJohnson started his period as the flyweight champion with a very competitive fight with Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152. Johnson was fast and swift in his movements and landed quality punches to his opponent’s head to ensure that he emerged the winner of the bout in a split decision manner. This win signified the start of an unprecedented championship streak that would later define Johnson’s reign as one of the greatest heavyweight champions. Title DefensesJohn Dodson I (UFC on FOX 6) The first significant challenge for Johnson as the champion took place at the beginning of 2013, against John Dodson. Dodson, a Thai fighter who boasted a lot of punch power and speed, had been a huge problem for him. This was an exciting fight that saw Johnson first being down, but he came back and won the fight by a unanimous decision. This bout proved Johnson’s stamina and his capacity to adjust in the middle of the bout. Joseph Benavidez II (UFC on FOX 9). Joseph Benavidez had the chance to avenge his previous loss to Johnson in December of 2013, and it was Johnson who dominated the fight. He knocked out Benavidez in the first round, proving that he had better striking and accuracy in this fight. This triumph shut the mouths of his detritus, who used to claim that he lacked the clinical edge to finish off his opponents, and further elevated him to the pinnacle of the division. Kyoji Horiguchi (UFC 186) The following fight scheduled for May 2015 was Johnson vs. Kyoji Horiguchi, a Japanese prospect. Johnson’s physical strength was able to reign supreme in the fight due to his strong wrestling and constant pressure. His latest submission was in the fifth round, when in the last few seconds he applied an armbar that made him the latest stoppage in UFC history. This victory also demonstrated Johnson’s tendency to keep a high work rate, press forward in a fight, and close out a fight strong. Henry Cejudo I (UFC 197) Henry Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, presented a different kind of challenge to Johnson in April 2016. But Johnson brought a lot of skills to the cage, and Cejudo simply could not handle it. Johnson employed clinching and striking and knocked out the opponent in the first round via TKO. This fight was a reminder of Johnson’s desire to shut down top wrestlers and excel on all fronts of mixed martial arts. Ray Borg (UFC 216) Johnson’s last victory that made him defend his belt for the record eleventh time was against Ray Borg in October 2017. In what is considered to be one of the best submissions in the entire UFC history, Johnson performed a suplex combined with an armbar in the fifth round, and Borg had to surrender. This win was the record-breaking 13th consecutive title defense, surpassing Anderson Silva’s record in the UFC, thus establishing Johnson’s status as a true MMA champion. Technical Mastery and Fight IQ This is one of the aspects of Demetrious Johnson’s title defense that was unique; Johnson displayed great technical skills and brilliant tactical awareness. Johnson said that he was able to move back and forth from striking to wrestling to grappling, which made him a very dangerous fighter for anyone in the flyweight division. His footwork, movement, and defense exposed his opponents and limited them to low strike rates and minimal opportunities to strike him. The aspect of fight IQ was well displayed by Johnson in how he would adapt during the fight. He could easily point out the opponent’s vulnerabilities and counter them, while at the same time neutralizing the opponent’s advantages. In striking a powerful puncher, grappling a high-level wrestler, or avoiding submissions from a BJJ specialist, Johnson proved to be a very adaptable fighter. The Transition of Demetrious Johnson’s StyleStill, Johnson was able to adapt and change his game throughout the course of his reign, steadily and gradually. He devoted much effort to all aspects of his training and emerged as an all-round fighter in the true sense of the term. His punching became much more effective, and his speed and accuracy remained high enough to become a constant nuisance to his opponents. Despite his questionable stand-up striking, Johnson incorporated clinch work into his game and used knees and elbows to
