UFC champ Demetrious Johnson: 'Not enough money in world' for me to risk brain damage

Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson made a decision to use brain over brawn after a March 2012 fight in which he narrowly escaped a loss while absorbing a career-high 61 significant strikes.

Johnson (23-2-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC), the current UFC flyweight champion and No. 3 fighter in the NOS Energy Drink MMA pound-for-pound rankings, was in a position at one point in his career when he could opt to be a fighter who stands in the pocket and exchanges blows until someone falls down, or be a tactical and intelligent athlete that competes as efficiently as possible.

Through the early stages of his career Johnson found a balance between fighting with necessary risk and remaining disciplined. That worked until he crossed paths with Ian McCall in his flyweight debut at UFC on FX 2 in March 2012.

With so much adrenaline and emotion going on, one of the required skills of being a pro fighter is to remain composed through all scenarios. Johnson veered away from his set strategy part way through the fight with McCall and paid for it.

Johnson said his desire for a slugfest got the better of him. Because of that, he opened the door for McCall to hit him more than anyone else in his career make it a highly competitive fight, which ultimately ended in a controversial draw.

Johnson’s tactics nearly lost him the bout, and he said the experience marked a turning point in his career. Johnson said his head coach Matt Hume made him realize the importance of fighting with his head instead of his ego, and after that moment Johnson has been an unstoppable force.

“One time I just brawled it out and said, ‘I’m going to just f-cking go, let my hands go and take shots and give shots.’ I had f-cking vertigo (after) and was like, ‘What the f-ck were you doing?” Johnson said on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. “Matt goes, ‘You’re gifted; you can switch from aspects of martial arts without missing a beat. That is your gift. Your gift is that you’re fast and not many people hit you. That’s what you have.’

“I was like, ‘F-ck, you’re right.’ And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. That’s why you have not seen me do that yet.”

Johnson’s results since the draw with McCall speak volumes. He decisively defeated McCall in a rematch and went on to capture the inaugural UFC 125-pound belt, which he’s defended seven consecutive times. Moreover, Johnson owns some of the best defensive striking stats in flyweight history and even in five-round fights has yet to be hit more than his first showdown with McCall.

Although the UFC incentivizes athletes to put themselves at risk with “Fight of the Night” and “Performance of the Night” bonuses, Johnson said there’s no price that can get him to revert to a potentially harmful style of fighting.

“There’s not enough money in the world for me to risk my brain damage,” Johnson said. “I know I’m fighting right now and people are like, ‘Well why the f-ck are you fighting (then)?’ That’s why Matt Hume will look at me (and tell me to be smart).”

Johnson knows that taking too much damage in his career will hurt his longevity in the sport, and that’s why he’s so conscious of his safety in the octagon. Johnson has a family to provide for and he’s unable to make that happen unless his physical wellbeing is in tact.

Moreover, Johnson said there’s not exactly a fallback plan for his MMA career. There’s no post-retirement help for fighters once they exit the sport, so Johnson said he knows it’s important to take good care of his body in and out of the cage. And he would encourage the next generation to do the same.

“You need a f-cking safety net in this sport,” Johnson said. “I tell all the kids who are like, ‘I want to be just like you’ to be better than me. Go to college, get an education and don’t try to put yourself in a boat to where this is all you have to do.”

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