5 best performances of Demetrious Johnson's career

Demetrious Johnson is one of the greatest MMA fighters ever. (Image courtesy of ONE Championship)
Demetrious Johnson is one of the greatest MMA fighters ever. (Image courtesy of ONE Championship)

#4. Demetrious Johnson vs. Wilson Reis - UFC on Fox: Johson vs. Reis

Johnson tied the record for most consecutive UFC title defenses with 10 in this dominant finish of Brazilian Wilson Reis. The fight didn't look like a fight but a straight execution from start to finish. It looked like a cat toying with a mouse.

'Mighty Mouse' peppered the then-No.3-ranked Reis with jabs and kicks at will before deftly slipping out of reach.

After knocking the Brazilian down near the end of the third round, the then-jiu-jitsu purple belt Johnson clamped an armbar on his blackbelt foe. Reis didn't have a choice but to tap or his arm would break.

Pundits were predicting Reis's only chance of winning was via submission on the ground. Demetrious Johnson, however, masterfully beat the jiu-jitsu black belt in his own game. Aside from the record-tying feat, the submission was extra sweet considering Reis's grappling pedigree.


#3. Demetrious Johson vs. Kyoji Horiguchi - UFC 186

This fight proved Demetrious Johnson's relentless pursuit of greatness. Against Japanese MMA standout Kyoji Horiguchi, who was 15-1 at the time, Johnson showed how he's a god among men.

Much like Reis, Horiguchi was never in a position to put Johnson in any sort of danger. We're not talking about connecting with a strong punch to hurt Demetrious Johnson; the Japanese was never in any scenario to even land a solid one.

What puts this performance on our list, however, is how the match ended. After utterly dominating all five rounds of the fight, Demetrious Johnson never relented and continually hunted for the finish.

In the closing moments of the fight, DJ slapped on his trademark armbar to score the tap with just a second left in the fight. It's officially the latest finish in UFC history at 4:59 of the fifth round.

Watch this detailed highlight video by YouTube user Larone:

youtube-cover

Quick Links