Demetrious Johnson demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship.
The renowned ONE Championship star and former UFC flyweight champion recently competed as a black belt at the 2024 IBJJF World Masters Jiu Jitsu Championship in Las Vegas. He shared videos of his grappling on his YouTube channel.
During his third match of the day, known as “Mighty Mouse,” he secured a decision victory over Takuto Kako. After the match, he took a moment to comfort his disappointed opponent.
You can watch a snippet of their interaction below.
Demetrious Johnson consoles his opponent after winning a Jiu Jitsu tournament:
“There’s always next year man. This is all for fun, your life won’t change. You’ll head home, keep training, have a lovely family, get back to work. This is all for fun, there’s more to… pic.twitter.com/xe2EemMjSh
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) August 30, 2024
Johnson shared, “It’s okay. There’s always next year. This is all in good spirit. Your life won’t drastically change. You’ll head home, keep training, have a wonderful spouse, kids, resume work. This is all for fun. Winning isn’t everything, I assure you.”
Johnson’s background in combat sports has provided him with insights into the highs and lows of competition. As the UFC flyweight champion, he successfully defended his title 11 times before losing it to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227. He later transitioned to ONE Championship and continued his success.
While his initial bid to claim ONE’s flyweight title ended in defeat by Adriano Moraes, who also competed at the IBJJF World Masters Jiu Jitsu Championship, Johnson rebounded with two wins against his Brazilian rival.
In the jiu-jitsu tournament, Johnson advanced to the quarterfinals before being submitted by Tomoya Yanagisawa.
Feel free to watch Johnson’s video recap of his jiu-jitsu competition experience below.
