Demetrious Johnson contemplates retirement as he prepares for a trilogy against Adriano Moraes and considers other avenues of income, such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions and his successful YouTube channel.
Demetrious Johnson is well aware that he doesn’t have much time left in MMA. As he prepares for an upcoming trilogy against Adriano Moraes in the first-ever U.S. ONE Championship event, the former UFC flyweight king admits he knows the end of his career is near. However, it’s not a matter of his health or feeling like he can’t hang with the best fighters in the world anymore. Johnson says it’s really just about knowing that the time is right to call it a career.
“It’s definitely possible [this is my last fight],” Johnson said. “Being 36, I sit down with the wife and kids, even my close friends, my inner circle who they don’t watch mixed martial arts, they don’t train, they all have normal citizen jobs you could say, and sometimes I sit there and think, how much more do I need to do? How much more do I want to do?” He’s also stated that he wants to compete in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in IBJJF, as his kids are doing it too, and he questions how much more he needs to achieve in MMA.
Watching some of his closest friends in fighting find success outside the cage has been inspiring for Johnson. He’s already built a successful YouTube channel through his passion for gaming and is intrigued by the idea of relying on something other than MMA to earn a living. Fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Henry Cejudo, and Tyron Woodley have all found ways to hustle and make a living without relying solely on their MMA careers. Johnson believes it’s time to start looking at other avenues to sustain his lifestyle.
As for the possibility of coming out of retirement, Johnson acknowledges that fighters rarely stay retired, especially when the competitive fire gets stoked again. However, he would prefer to test himself in grappling competitions and only return to fighting for a payday so ridiculous that he couldn’t possibly say no. If Johnson does decide to retire after his third fight against Moraes, don’t expect him to lay his gloves down in the cage and make that announcement; he’ll likely have that conversation privately with his wife before letting the rest of the world know.