Every Demetrious Johnson UFC Flyweight Title Defense, Ranked

Publish date: 2024-05-17

Demetrious Johnson's UFC flyweight title reign from 2012 to 2018 was arguably the greatest run in MMA history. Earning 11 title defenses over names such as Joseph Benavidez, Henry Cejudo, John Dodson, and more earned 'Mighty Mouse' a place in history as one of the greatest fighters in the UFC.

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Furthermore, his 11 title defenses are still the record for most consecutive title defenses in company history to this day. While he defeated incredible names across his six years as champion, some of his performances were better than others. Let's take a look back at Johnson's greatest performances of his UFC flyweight title reign.

11 John Dodson

While Demetrious Johnson's UFC title reign saw him destroy his opponents time after time, his first title defense against John Dodson in 2013 was anything but. The challenger hurt the champion multiple times throughout the bout and won multiple rounds.

However, in his first defense, Johnson showed the championship run he would carry with him for the rest of his UFC run. After surviving through early knockdowns, he pushed the pace and worked his wrestling to earn a unanimous decision victory.

10 Tim Elliott

Demetrious Johnson's ninth title defense against Tim Elliott was harder than anyone expected. The challenger earned his title shot after winning the 24th season of The Ultimate Fighter and was seen as a sacrificial lamb for the champ.

Instead, Elliott's unique style provided issues early for Johnson, knocking him down in round one and nearly submitting the champion with a guillotine. After the early scare, the champion survived and was able to grind out a unanimous decision victory.

9 Ali Bagautinov

Ali Bagautinov was seen as an interesting style matchup for the champion. Having a background in Sambo, he was coming off wins over John Lineker and Tim Elliott. While there seemed to be interest in this one, there wasn't much offense from the Russian.

Johnson outpointed Bagautinov on the feet en route to a unanimous decision victory. The win aged even better when the Russian tested positive for PEDs during the bout, but even when enhanced, he had nothing for the champion.

8 John Moraga

John Moraga's UFC title shot came at a time when the division was at its worst. With not a lot of contenders around, the former boxer earned his title shot after just two fights in the UFC, leading many to believe it was a big mismatch. His inexperience quickly showed when he got in the cage with Johnson.

Moraga had his success on the feet, even rocking Johnson in round four. However, he couldn't keep the champion off of him in terms of wrestling. 'Mighty Mouse' earned a big submission victory in the fifth round for his second title defense.

7 Chris Cariaso

Chris Cariaso's UFC run had been a bit of an up and down roller coaster. However, the veteran was able to squeak together a three-fight winning streak in order to receive a title shot at UFC 178 in 2014. While his win streak commanded respect, he was seen as a massive underdog.

This one was all dominance from the champion, proving the odds correct. Johnson arguably didn't lose a single second of this fight en route to a second-round kimura victory.

6 Wilson Reis

Similar to the aforementioned Cariaso fight, Wilson Reis didn't seem to be a real contender for Johnson. However, his three-fight win streak, as well as incredible jiu-jitsu skills led some to believe that he might be able to catch the champion with something.

Instead, this was one-way traffic. Johnson put on a boxing clinic on the feet and even took the fight to the ground in round three. After battering the jiu-jitsu ace on the mat, he submitted him with an armbar. Once again proving that he can do it all, to earn his 10th title defense.

5 Ray Borg

Demetrious Johnson broke the record for UFC consecutive title defenses in 2017 with a victory over Ray Borg. 'The Taxmexican Devil' was always seen as a well-rounded fighter, but his weight issues held him back from being seen as a real contender.

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Borg held his own at times in this one, having success with the grappling. However, Johnson was able to outwork the challenger before securing one of the greatest submissions of all time in round five. 'Mighty Mouse' suplexed Borg into a flying armbar to retain his title.

4 John Dodson 2

Demetrious Johnson's rematch with John Dodson was an anticipated one, as he'd hardly looked human since their first fight two and a half years prior. The contender fought his way back to the title with three straight victories, but it wouldn't be enough at UFC 191.

Johnson dominated this one, showing improved standup and taking the fight to the ground when necessary. The champion retained his UFC gold via unanimous decision.

3 Kyoji Horiguchi

While some thought that the Japanese prospect Kyoji Horiguchi received his title shot at UFC 186 a bit early, his talent was undeniable. A striking ace holding a 15-1 professional record, after this fight, he would go on to capture titles in both Bellator and RIZIN.

However, on this night in 2015, it was the champion teaching the youngster a thing or two. While the striking was competitive, Johnson had a massive edge in the grappling and scored 14 takedowns. He eventually drowned the future champion in the fifth round with an armbar.

2 Joseph Benavidez 2

What is easily forgotten is that Demetrious Johnson's UFC title victory at UFC 152 nearly didn't happen. His fight with Joseph Benavidez was extremely close, and one judge even scored the fight for him. When they met again a year later, many fans expected a similar contest.

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Instead, Johnson showcased how much he had improved. 'Mighty Mouse' landed a huge shot to put the challenger unconscious, it was the first time Benavidez had ever been knocked out.

1 Henry Cejudo

Demetrious Johnson met the undefeated Henry Cejudo at UFC 197 in April 2016. The former Olympian thought his wrestling and clinch-work would be enough to steal away the title from the champion. Instead, he got battered like all of the challengers before him.

While Cejudo did score an early takedown, he was quickly shrugged off by Johnson. The challenger then tried to do some clinch fighting, which would be his downfall. Johnson dominated Cejudo in the clinch, landing many big shots before knocking out the future double-champion in the first round. To date, it is still the only time that Cejudo has been finished.

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