Former UFC champion Demetrious Johnson won gold in the 154.6 pound Masters division at the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Pan American Championship and also medaled in an openweight contest.
Demetrious Johnson, ex-UFC champ, and ONE Championship titleholder, made waves at the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Pan American Championship. He bagged gold in his selected 154.6 pound Masters division and also scored a medal in an openweight contest.
The openweight contest was no walk in the park. Johnson, standing at 5-3 and weighing around 155 pounds, had to grapple with giants. One of them? A 6-3, 248-pound adversary he faced in the quarterfinals.
But size isn’t everything, right? Michael Sante Medina, the larger opponent, found this out the hard way. Despite his size advantage, he couldn’t outwit Johnson. The latter clinched the match in the final seconds at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Fla.
Medina was all praises for Johnson post-match. “He’s a beast, man,” he said. “Keeping that dude still is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. He’s rough.”
Johnson couldn’t carry his winning streak into the finals of the openweight tournament, though. He succumbed to a triangle choke from Brendan Paul Gagnon, who weighed in at 215 pounds.
But hey, not too shabby for a flyweight, eh?
Johnson has often spoken about how grappling competitions like the Pan-Ams keep him motivated. Especially now, as he navigates the twilight of his illustrious career.
Curious to see Johnson in action? Check out the video blog of his experience and highlights of his matches below.