UFC Executive Director Dana White has reacted to the news that former UFC Flyweight Champion and ONE Championship belt holder Demetrious Johnson has announced his retirement from professional fighting.
White stated, as reported by Grind City Media:
If you could go back to when he was here, I was defending him from the fans. So who has defended Demetrious Johnson more than me? Good for him. Incredible career he had; I’ve never had a problem with Demetrious Johnson. Will he be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame? Absolutely.
It’s worth noting that Johnson announced his retirement on September 7 during ONE Championship 168 in Denver. Additionally, he became the first fighter to be inducted into the ONE Hall of Fame.
Johnson competed under the UFC banner from 2011 to 2018, defeating notable fighters such as Joseph Benavidez, Ali Bagautinov, John Dodson, Kyoji Horiguchi, Henry Cejudo, and Tim Elliott. His most recent fight was in May 2023, where he won against Adriano Moraes by unanimous decision at ONE on Prime Video 10. His professional record stands at 25 wins, four losses, and one draw.