Demetrious Johnson on preparing for IBJJF Masters: “I don’t know who I’m facing and I love it”

Demetrious Johnson admits he’s feeling a bit nostalgic heading into his first Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament.

The reigning ONE flyweight world champion will cross over to BJJ and take part in the 2023 IBJJF Masters World Championships next week in Las Vegas.

Unlike his storied career in mixed martial arts, Johnson doesn’t have a clue on who he will face in the tournament.

While heading into the unknown is a conundrum for most, the MMA legend looks forward to it.

Johnson told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that since he doesn’t know who he’ll face, he won't have to do any homework in the lead-up to the tournament.

“I don't know who I'm facing and I love it. No game study. No homework. The reason why I love that is because it tests the true martial artist. And what I mean by that is when I was an amateur in mixed martial arts, my coach would go like we have to fight this guy in two months, and we go out there and surf the internet and try and find information on how he fights. [There's nothing, no?]”

Johnson, a former UFC flyweight world champion, is considered one of the best fighters of all time, and he grabbed that distinction through a grappling-heavy offensive style. The 37-year-old has 25 wins in his MMA career, eight by submission.

He has two submission wins in ONE Championship, one in MMA and the other in a mixed-rules bout against ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

Johnson scored a second-round guillotine choke finish over Yuya Wakamatsu in his promotional debut in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinals in March 2019.

Three years after he submitted Wakamatsu, Johnson took the air out of Rodtang with a textbook rear-naked choke at ONE X.

Watch Johnson's entire interview below: