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ONE flyweight MMA world champion and consensus GOAT Demetrious Johnson recently sat down with renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani in his YouTube show, The MMA Hour. The two personalities discussed recent developments in DJ's career, including his rise in the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu circuit.
Demetrious Johnson has lately been bagging gold medals in IBJJF tournaments at brown belt. To MMA fans, DJ is considered the GOAT as he is head and shoulders above many fighters in terms of both striking and grappling. Even when he was just a blue belt, 'Mighty Mouse' was submitting renowned black belts in MMA.
The question is, why is DJ still competing at brown belt and not black belt? The MMA icon answered it himself, saying:
“So in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, you have gi and no-gi right? And with my professor, under the IBJJF rules, you have to have a certain amount of years under your belt. So when I went competing in mixed martial arts, my professor Bibiano Fernandes, he would belt me. And he goes 'You're a brown belt now. And in order for you to get your black belt, you need to go back and compete in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in gi.' And he goes, 'I'm not going to give you your black belt until you win some tournaments.' And for me, I don't want to be handed something I truly didn't work for.”
Watch the full interview here:
Demetrious Johnson bags gold and silver at recently concluded IBJJF Pans
At the recently concluded International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) Pan Championships, Demetrious Johnson bagged gold in his division and then silver in the absolutes.
The IBJJF Pans, aside from the IBJJF Worlds, is the most prestigious BJJ Gi tournament in the world. To win gold in the -70kg category, Johnson had to go through Carlos Alberto Morales, Sophanarith Am, and Marcio Luis Ferreira Filho.
His performance in the Absolute open weight was quite remarkable as well, being that he is one of the smallest competitors in the bracket.
In the opening bout, DJ submitted a man nearly a hundred pounds heavier. He then bagged a win over a much heavier competitor before losing to the eventual gold medalist in the finals.
