“We’re going hunting for big boys” - Demetrious Johnson on why he competed at openweight in the 2024 IBJJF Pans

After winning gold in the Master 2 featherweight division as a brown belt at the 2024 IBJJF Pan Championships, reigning ONE flyweight MMA world champion Demetrious Johnson decided to test his skills in the openweight tournament.

For those unfamiliar, openweight is exactly what it sounds like — a BJJ tournament where there is no weight limit. As a result, Johnson found himself going toe-to-toe with a 6'3", 250-pound opponent. For reference, Johnson stands at a modest 5'3" and walks around at roughly 150 pounds.

Still, Johnson proved why he is one of the greatest martial artists on the planet, dispatching the big man en route to winning an openweight silver medal.

Before he stepped onto the mat for the openweight tournament, Johnson told FloGrappling:

"We’re going hunting for some big boys today, we’re going hunting for big boys. You know, I just won my division, I only have three matches. The job is done already, I already won my division."

He added:

"This is just to push myself and to go against people who are bigger than me, who have the size advantage, you know the strength advantage. I want to see if my athleticism, my technique, my skill, my cardio can give those guys problems."

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This is certainly not the first time Demetrious Johnson has flexed his skills on the mat and went home with gold. In September, 'Mighty Mouse' headed to Las Vegas, where he competed in the 2023 IBJJF World Masters Championship. There, he took home gold in the same featherweight division, besting six competitors along the way — five by points and another via armbar.

Johnson's BJJ accolades come just a few months after his unanimous decision victory over Adriano Moraes at ONE Fight Night 10 in Denver, retaining the ONE flyweight MMA world title and closing out their iconic trilogy on top.

What's next for Demetrious Johnson remains to be seen, but until he steps back inside the Circle, fans will continue to marvel at his continued dominance on every platform he pursues.