Demetrious Johnson Focused On Being Best Version Of ‘Mighty Mouse’

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will take on Danny Kingad this weekend in the finals of the ONE Flyweight Grand Prix.

The two will be part of the TNT-broadcast ONE: CENTURY event from Tokyo, Japan.

For “Mighty Mouse,” the opportunity to continue his fighting career with ONE was welcomed with open arms – as has everything he has ever done.

Related: Brandon Vera Ready To Fulfill His Destiny At ONE: CENTURY

“I started out with wrestling in middle school and when I got to high school, I kept wrestling,” Johnson said. “I saw guys working out and one thing led to another. I would go to work, go home to sleep, go to the gym and go back home, then do it all over again. I was always busy, and never had that party lifestyle.”

Johnson successfully defended his UFC belt 11 times, setting a new promotional record. He first captured the belt vs. Joseph Benavidez and sat atop the division for six years, earning wins over the likes of current two-division UFC titleholder Henry Cejudo, John Dodson and Kyoji Horiguchi.

Demetrious Johnson’s Path To Greatness

“My goal in life was never to be world champion and never to be a professional martial artist,” Johnson said. “It was to take care of myself and that was it. The passion of martial arts, the consecutive title defenses, being one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, that came from energy, discipline and making a better version of myself.

The 33-year-old immediately was thrust into the ONE GP upon signing with the promotion, earning wins over Yuya Wakamatsu and Tatsumitsu Wada to position himself for Kingad in the finals.

“I would say my experience with the World Grand Prix is it’s a lot of work,” Johnson said. “This whole entire year, I have been in training camp. I have been training since January. It is fun, but it is a lot of work, so I am looking forward to getting it done with this one.”

Demetrious Johnson Vs. Danny Kingad: ONE Flyweight Grand Prix Feature

Johnson experienced some disappointment in himself following the victory over Wada, which ultimately forced him to focus more on Kingad.

“I was not happy with my performance, but it is behind me. It is done with, behind me and I am on to the next round getting ready for Danny so I do not have a lot of time to sulk and think about that bout,” Johnson said.

Related: Previewing ONE: CENTURY’s Title Fights, Grand Prix Finals