Demetrious Johnson isn’t plotting a comeback.
That’s the message the previous UFC flyweight champion handed alongside after he acquired known as out by Alexandre Pantjoa following his win over Kai Asakura on Saturday evening. The victory served as Pantoja’s third straight title protection however with wins over the vast majority of the fighters occupying spots close to the highest of the UFC’s rankings, he doesn’t have many challenges awaiting him.
So Pantoja turned his attention to Johnson saying “I’m the GOAT right here. If you wish to show you’re the GOAT, come again” however now “Mighty Mouse” has responded with an emphatic thanks however no thanks.
“My Black ass ain’t popping out of retirement,” Johnson stated on his YouTube channel. “Why would I try this? The checking account is sitting good and good. 38 years outdated, 11 consecutive title defenses. The champ ain’t coming again.”
Johnson retired again in September after giving himself greater than a yr to take a seat on that call simply in case he determined he wished to combat once more. When that self-imposed time restrict expired, Johnson knew that he was prepared to hold up his gloves and name it a profession.
He already scoffed at former opponent Adriano Moraes predicting that he would ultimately return to motion and Johnson hasn’t modified his thoughts simply because Pantoja known as him out.
“Guys I’m retired. I’ve no curiosity to combat anymore,” Johnson stated. “I’m so comfortable for Alex Pantoja. I’m comfortable he acquired his third title protection. I’m so comfortable for him. I all the time thought he was an incredible athlete. He’s the best flyweight on the earth proper now. I believe the best flyweights on the earth proper now are all at American High Group. You’ve got Alex Pantoja, Adriano Moraes and you then even have Kyoji Horiguchi. These three guys are in all probability the very best athletes on the earth.
“I’m not the very best flyweight on the earth anymore. My Black ass is retired and I’m fortunately retired. I ain’t going to be no motherf*cking Jose Aldo. I ain’t going to be no motherf*cking Donald Cerrone coming again to combat. There ain’t no level to coming again to combat. What am I going to show once I come again to f*cking combat?”
Johnson revealed that he was already supplied a hefty payday to return again to combating however even that didn’t entice him to plot a return to motion.
“You already know what the gorgeous factor concerning the place I’m in is?” Johnson stated. “I’ve been supplied $2 million {dollars} to return and do one combat. One combat and what do you guys suppose I stated? I stated no. I stated completely no. It wasn’t with the UFC. It wasn’t towards Alex Pantoja. I’m not going to inform you who it was with however I acquired supplied $2 million {dollars} to combat and there comes a time limit in an athlete’s profession the place you sit again and also you’ll be like why am I combating? Is it to be the very best on the earth? Shit, I used to be the very best on the earth for six years. Not simply in America but additionally in Japan and I went up a division. I went to 135 as a substitute of 125.
“Then you definately sit again once I made that call ‘I don’t care to combat anymore,’ I gave myself a full-blown yr to see if I’m going to overlook it. [To see] if it’s my identification and I didn’t miss it.”
Relatively than take punches for a dwelling anymore, Johnson prefers his new occupation offering for his household with a thriving YouTube channel and different companies outdoors of combating.
He believes that’s his new measure of success moderately than continually answering challenges from the following man in line making an attempt to usurp his throne.
“What I believed was extra badass than being the very best fighter on the earth, I believe it’s extra badass to construct an empire,” Johnson stated. “In the event you’re an athlete and you’re successful and you’re counting on the cash you’re making from successful, when you lose that combat, half your pay is gone. As soon as any champion loses, half their pay is gone. It’s simply gone like that.
“That’s the gorgeous factor that made me wish to retire is that I don’t wish to depend on my physique or me being the very best on the earth so as to pay my payments and make investments and construct my empire.”
Trending Merchandise
