Demetrious Johnson is an enigma to opponents and fans alike. Inside the Octagon, he is the Swiss army knife of fighters, stumping opponents with quintessential abilities. But on the outside, he is the face of culpability surrounding an oft-ignored flyweight division.
Striking, wrestling, submissions, clinch work, chin, conditioning—Johnson has it all. The guy can do it all, and he’s only getting better. He has finished four of his last five opponents by submission or knockout.
And no one gives a damn.
I can remember sitting in a restaurant watching as Johnson wrenched Chris Cariaso’s arm into submission when a drunken fan behind me shouted, “I hate watching Mickey Mouse’s boring fights.”
We had just witnessed dominance displayed at the highest level, and it was like this guy refused to accept what was happening. He refused to care because he didn’t buy into the persona of “Mighty Mouse.” He wasn’t buying into the clean-cut, good-guy image, even if the fighter was one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
When speaking on the UFC 191 media phone conference, Johnson told a similar story.
"When I knocked out Joseph Benavidez, one of the comments that made me laugh so hard was, 'Yeah man, I sat there and watched Joseph Benavidez get knocked out by Demetrious Johnson and I just shrugged my shoulders and went out and bought a burrito.' Okay," he said. "That's good."
Far less talented fighters have a better chance at capturing attention by throwing on a cheap suit and spinning a fictitious story.
Fighting isn’t enough for combat sports fans. They need to be amused with characters and “real-life” drama. Showmanship coupled with a natural talent for fighting brings the entertainment side full circle.
From the perspective of most fans, Johnson is an incomplete champion. As complete as his fighting abilities are inside the cage, he is a blank slate on the outside. Johnson is the admirable employee who always shows up on time, does his job and punches his card when it's closing time.
And the fighting world treats him as such—simply another man on the assembly line.
However, it won’t always be this way. Someday fans will appreciate Johnson’s greatness. There is no way to know if that day will come sooner or later.
Anderson Silva, whom many consider the greatest fighter in MMA history, wasn’t that popular until Chael Sonnen came along. The same thing could be said about UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, whose stock has risen significantly since the arrival of Conor McGregor.
Perhaps Johnson holds on to the title long enough for a suitable antagonist to arrive onto the scene. Maybe it never happens.
As Johnson’s career collects dust, history will tell the story of one of the greatest all-around talents ever in MMA. People will watch vintage tapes and talk about how he was underappreciated and overlooked. In hindsight, the superfluous infatuation with drama and spectacle will appear as distant as a star in the sky.
Johnson will be remembered for his accomplishments, not the amount of pay-per-view buys he generated. In that very moment—when appreciation of talent surpasses spectacle—Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will be missed.
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