Demetrious Johnson gained’t be preventing in MMA anymore and he didn’t combat the tears after saying his retirement.
“Mighty Mouse” formally referred to as it a wrap on his illustrious profession this previous Friday at ONE 168 in Denver, hanging up the gloves after 15 years as a professional, 11 UFC flyweight title defenses, and one other title reign for ONE Championship.
The 38-year-old might hardly maintain it collectively whereas delivering his retirement speech and the waterworks had been flowing backstage, too. On Monday, Johnson launched an all-access, behind-the-scenes have a look at his emotional farewell.
Watch the video under.
Following his in-cage second, Johnson recorded an unique testimonial for his YouTube channel, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than he was crying yet again.
“I didn’t suppose it was going to be that emotional, to be sincere with you,” Johnson mentioned. “I believe it’s at all times good not making ready a speech as a result of I really feel if you put together a speech, you deal with studying the phrases and getting your ideas out. However I believe if you communicate from the guts and you are feeling the power of the gang, you see your spouse, you see your youngsters, you see f*cking [coach Matt Hume], it’s simply f*cking arduous, you recognize?
“It’s not arduous, it’s only a massive chapter of my life that for thus lengthy I’ve devoted to martial arts. I’m going to proceed to do martial arts… a few guys that I talked to, Urijah Faber, he mentioned, ‘There’s solely a brief period of time you get to be knowledgeable athlete and be capable to compete on the highest degree.’ It’s not that I can’t practice anymore and I can’t combat and I can’t do it, however I really feel there has to return a time limit when an athlete is like, when is sufficient sufficient? For me, I felt prefer it was that second.”
Johnson composed himself and elaborated extra on his causes for retirement, however was quickly in tears once more after assembly up along with his coach and longtime buddy Matt Hume.
“He’s like a father to me,” Johnson mentioned of Hume. “You’ve at all times been wonderful. … You’ve simply at all times been there, not as a coach, however as a father and mentor.”
“I really feel like I’m to you,” Hume mentioned earlier than embracing Johnson.
The retirement festivities began earlier within the night time for Johnson as his household put collectively a tribute video, which included UFC stars Israel Adesanya, Sean O’Malley, and Aljamain Sterling, BKFC star Mike Perry, Bibiano Fernandes, Tyron Woodley, in addition to Johnson’s family members and coaching companions.
