Demetrious Johnson doesn’t see himself competing at the age of 40.
Johnson reigned as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight title holder for years. At the age of 32, he’s already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time. “Mighty Mouse” is beginning a new journey with ONE Championship, but he doesn’t want to overstay his welcome.
Demetrious Johnson Eyeing Retirement In Five Years
Johnson spoke to reporters ahead of his March 31 ONE Championship debut in Tokyo, Japan. When asked if he wanted to leave the UFC due to the state of the flyweight division, “Mighty Mouse” said he was simply thinking of his fighting future (via MMAJunkie.com):
“It was more along the lines that I have five years left. I give myself five more years. God bless Vitor Belfort, 41, still kicking butt. I don’t think I can do it. You look at all the great athletes in MMA, (Mirko) Cro Cop, Vitor, (Gegard) Mousasi, those guys competing over in the east and then competed over in the west, and for me, I never got the opportunity to. So this is a perfect opportunity for me, for my last five years, to go out and try to do something totally different that I didn’t see myself doing.”
Johnson will collide with Yuya Wakamatsu in the opening round of flyweight tournament. This is an eight-man grand prix. ONE Championship’s “A New Era” event can be seen on B/R Live.
Do you think Demetrious Johnson will stick to his retirement plan?
