“Started doing things differently” – Demetrious Johnson tells Joe Rogan that he was in a better place for Adriano Moraes rematch

Demetrious Johnson has revealed that a shift in his perspective took place in the lead-up to his rematch against Adriano Moraes.

In the main event of ONE on Prime Video 1, Demetrious Johnson battled flyweight world champion, Adriano Moraes, in a championship bout. Finished for the first time in his career in their first fight, 'DJ' had pressure riding on his shoulders in the rematch this past August.

Interestingly, in a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE), Demetrious Johnson explained how losing his sister pushed him to re-evaluate his priorities in life. It allowed him to enjoy his life as a whole, including relieving pressure from his training schedule:

"When I fought Adriano the second time, it was probably the toughest training camp. But I started doing things differently. Before, I’m trying to be perfect - 'I can’t have any beer, I can’t go watch a concert, I got to be strict.'"

'DJ' continued:

"The last sparring session before the Adriano fight, I went to a concert, had two beers, had a f***ing chicken sandwich. I’m like, I need to enjoy my life. Because eventually, I’m going to die. I don’t want to be on my deathbed and not enjoy my life. That traumatic thing in my life shifted my whole perspective. That whole mindset made me a better athlete and a better fighter."

Most younger fighters probably need to exercise greater discipline in their personal lives for the sake of their athletic careers. However, after years and years of hard work and discipline, it seems as if 'DJ' has decided to be not so stoic anymore. He’s 36 years old and has fought in 29 pro fights. Johnson has likely found his flow and closed all the gaps in his training.

'DJ' with Joe Rogan in the studio:

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Demetrious Johnson isn’t entertaining the GOAT conversation

After Demetrious Johnson knocked out Adriano Moraes in their rematch this August, debate reignited on whether he is the greatest fighter of all time.

Seemingly, Johnson doesn’t concern himself with such talk:

“I don’t wanna get lost in that [being too focused on the sport], not succumb to that ego, [and try to] be the GOAT. You know what, we won, how do I get to the end game where our businesses thrive and succeed, and we can ride it out into the sunset?”

Setting the rest of his life up for success is the bigger goal for Johnson. The title of the GOAT is hotly debated in the MMA community, so Demetrious Johnson would rather leave that to the fans and focus on his work.