UFC CEO Dana White didn’t hesitate when asked if Demetrious Johnson has a future in the UFC Hall of Fame.
Former longtime UFC flyweight champion Johnson announced his retirement from MMA competition Friday at ONE Championship 168 in Denver. After making his exit from the UFC following a long tenure in an unprecedented “trade” for Ben Askren in October 2018, “Mighty Mouse” went on to claim the ONE flyweight title.
Johnson’s retirement was met with celebration for his decorated career, which included a record 11 consecutive title defenses and a plethora of other records, from across the MMA community.
White was asked for his thoughts in an interview with John Morgan of Grind City Media following Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 242 event in Las Vegas, and he offered praise to Johnson.
“If you could go back to when he was here, I was defending him from the fans. So who has defended Demetrious Johnson more than me? Good for him. Incredible career he had; I’ve never had a problem with Demetrious Johnson.”
Following his retirement speech, Johnson became the first fighter to be inducted to the ONE Championship Hall of Fame. It appears that won’t be the only place he’ll be enshrined, because White said his spot in UFC history is coming, too.
“Absolutely (he will be inducted),” White said definitively.
