Demetrious Johnson showcased his jiu-jitsu skills at the IBJJF Pan Championship 2024, clinching a duo of prestigious medals in the tournament.
Renowned for his remarkable tenure as one of the most accomplished world champions in UFC history, Johnson has seamlessly transitioned his success beyond the confines of the octagon.
Demetrious Johnson is still active in the MMA community with rumblings of a grappling match between him and MIkey Musumeci however nothing concrete has emerged just yet.
With an illustrious career that has seen him conquer nearly every pinnacle in the MMA realm, Johnson, despite nearing a juncture where retirement might loom, remains undeterred in his pursuit of fresh challenges.
Recently, he embraced the transition to training in the gi, where he found a profound affection for the discipline. His competitive debut at the IBJJF Master World Championship in 2023 was nothing short of spectacular.
Competing in the Master 2 brown belt featherweight division, Johnson exhibited flawless finesse on the mats, emerging victorious in every encounter within his bracket, ultimately securing a coveted gold medal from the event.
DJ gets subbed in openweight finals pic.twitter.com/T8z3qTRDgx
— calfkicker (@calfkickercom) March 25, 2024
Demetrious Johnson was cornered by Lucas Pinheiro and Bibiano Fernandes. Johnson secured a silver medal in the open weight category.
While this is an impressive feat on it’s own one can’t help but wonder if a pro athlete belongs in the Masters 2 division even at brown belt level. IBJJF competition famously offer no cash prizes below black belt so Johnson actually paid for the privilege to compete this past weekend.
Last year, Mighty Mouse was awarded two stripes on his brown belt following a win at IBJJF Worlds sparking concerns that this might be a sandbagging situation. It certainly seems a bit peculiar to see a professional martial artist compete at brown belt for so long.
Back then there were rumblings among BJJ fans.
With the significantly lower profile of the Pan-american championships there isn’t much push back this time but the question if Demetrius Johnson should be promoted remains.
