ONE Championship: Demetrious Johnson says he will consult Georges St-Pierre, Khabib Nurmagomedov on retirement decision
- Johnson returned to action at ONE Fight Night 10, defending his flyweight MMA title with a decision win over his greatest rival, Adriano Moraes
- The American is undecided on his fighting future after the sport, admitting that he has nightmares about his life after competition
ONE Championship’s Demetrious Johnson plans to consult two of the most accomplished athletes in MMA history as he deliberates over his future in the sport.
The American returned to action in the main event of ONE Fight Night 10 on Friday night in Denver, Colorado – the promotion’s first event in his home country – and defended the promotion’s flyweight MMA title with a hard-fought unanimous-decision victory over his long time rival Adriano Moraes.
Ahead of the fight, Johnson suggested several times that he might retire after the fact, no matter the outcome. He deferred that decision in his post-fight interview with Mitch Chilson, and again at the event’s post-fight press conference, revealing that he will pick the brains of former UFC champions Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov before he commits.
“I’m going to reach out to GSP, Khabib Nurmagomedov [and ask them], ‘why did you guys stop?’ Those guys could have kept on fighting,” he said.
Johnson, 36, is an 11-time UFC champion, and now ONE’s defending flyweight king. His legacy as one of the greatest fighters of all time is ironclad, but the father of three has found himself increasingly concerned with his life after competition, which is why he has been considering retirement.
“Week four, week five was probably the hardest time in all my training camp,” he said. “Back in the day when I was getting ready to fight Wilson Reis, I would have nightmares that Wilson Reis would take my back.
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“I didn’t have nightmares when I was getting ready to fight Adriano. I was having nightmares about what I’m going to do after I’m done fighting.
“I have to listen to my feelings. Why am I having nightmares about what I’m going to do after fighting when I have an opponent I’m training for? That’s where all these feelings come from.”
While Johnson is undecided on his future as a professional athlete, it is already clear who he will fight next if he decides to continue competing: former ONE flyweight champion Kairat Akhmetov (30-2).
The 35-year-old Kazakh was also in action at ONE Fight Night 10, defeating Reece McLaren by unanimous decision in the second bout of the night.
It was his sixth win in a row, and seemingly his ticket to a title shot, as he was invited into the Circle for a face-off with Johnson after the main event.
“I think Kairat Akhmetov is on a six fight win-streak,” Johnson said of his rival. “I love when people are on win streaks. I love taking it away from them. Kairat’s an amazing athlete – very, very strong.
“He’s a good wrestler,” he added. “I’m excited for a new challenge. He brings something different to the table.”
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Johnson is one of ONE’s most popular fighters, and certainly it’s most accomplished.
Given his standing in combat sports, it is no surprise that fans are eager for answers about his future.
However, the MMA legend is clearly in no rush to make that decision, intent instead to return home to Washington State, where he will talk it over with his wife Destiny.
“I can keep on fighting, that’s true, but it takes a lot of energy away from other projects that can take care of me after fighting.”
“I’m 36 years old. Do I just keep doing it and giving other athletes the opportunity to beat me and add to their legacy?”
The ONE Fight Night 10 main event marked Johnson and Moraes’ third meeting in the Circle. In their first, Moraes scored a shocking upset, knocking out the American with a knee. But Johnson evened the score in the rematch, claiming the title with a knockout of his own, and ultimately came out on top in their rivalry with his decision win in Denver.
Prior to signing with ONE in 2018, he spent years competing in the UFC, where St-Pierre and Nurmagomedov were also champions.
French-Canadian St-Pierre (26-2) is considered the greatest welterweight in the American promotion’s history, and also briefly reigned as its middleweight champion.
Russia’s Nurmagomedov enjoyed a brief reign as the lightweight champion, and famously retired with a perfect 29-0 record.
