When Demetrious Johnson competed in the World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023, he wore a gi for the first time and promptly dominated his classification. This added to the aura surrounding Johnson.
The ONE flyweight MMA world champion displayed why he is considered to be one of the finest grapplers in the history of mixed martial arts (MMA) from the moment his first fight began. The American legend Johnson showed that he can compete with some of the greatest in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu scene when he made his debut in the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF). Johnson met Lukas Cherep in this competition.
Johnson’s performance against Cherep in his debut IBJJF bout was nothing short of spectacular, as he transitioned and passed guard with relative ease. Despite the fact that he is a great grappler in his own right, Cherep was completely helpless against Johnson throughout the match.
“Mighty Mouse” appeared to be in his natural habitat, and he even attempted to achieve an armbar on Cherep before the latter was able to free himself. In spite of Cherep’s best efforts, Johnson secured a commanding victory in terms of points.
Watch the video clip below here:
On its Instagram page, IBJJF released bits of the match, including the following:
“Demetrious Johnson, also known as @mighty, makes his debut in the IBJJF! Whoa, that guy can run! Follow up with all of the action on @flograppling.
As a result of Johnson’s dominant performance in the final of the brown belt featherweight class in the Masters 2 category, he was awarded the gold medal. His opponent in the final was Michael Harmeling.
The 37-year-old boxer is routinely ranked among the all-time greatest fighters, and he has garnered extraordinary acclaim in the mixed martial arts community by utilizing a stifling grappling technique.
Johnson is the first ever UFC Flyweight World Champion, and he has successfully defended his title an unprecedented eleven times in a row. Since leaving the American organization, Johnson has won the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix in 2019 and the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title in 2022. Both of these victories came after Johnson left the American company.
