No More Debate, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson Is The Pound For Pound King

If we still lived in a world where the UFC gave catchy names to all of their pay-per-views, UFC 197 would have almost certainly been labeled: Proving Ground. The funny thing is, while fighters like Jon Jones, Anthony Pettis, and Carla Esparza were actively trying to prove their critics wrong, the one person who had almost nothing to prove, Demetrious Johnson, proved rather emphatically that he is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. On a night that was billed as the return of Jon Jones, the one fighter no one seemed to be talking about was Johnson. Ironically, after the card was over people couldn’t stop talking about him. The Pacific Northwest has produced some of the most legendary fighters of all time and when all is said and done, one might even be able to say that the Pacific Northwest produced the most dominant champion ever.

Ok, the most dominant ever might be a stretch … maybe. However, there is little doubt that Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is the reigning pound-for pound king in the world of mixed martial arts. If Johnson continues on his current trajectory, he will have defended the flyweight title ten consecutive times by the end of the year, tying the record set by Anderson Silva in 2012. After dispatching Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo in the first round last Saturday night, Johnson was quick to point out that he was the special one in the ring that night.

“There are 5,883 gold medalists but there’s only one UFC flyweight champion, that’s me,” said Johnson. He followed that quote up with a charismatic wink to the camera showing the playful side shine.

What I find to be most incredible about him is how he seems to be getting better. Fight after fight, he adds new wrinkles to his game, and because of his constantly evolving skills, each win seems more dominant than the last. This evolution coupled with a rapidly thinning flyweight division has had many clamoring for Johnson to move up in weight to face bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. Cruz was the last man to best Johnson, and while I am sure the thought of avenging one of his two losses is appealing, Johnson has made it clear that his sights are still set on the flyweight division. While some have been critical of this approach, I am not one of them. I don’t see Johnson losing to any flyweight on the UFC roster (or any other roster, for that matter) but that doesn’t mean he is completely out of challengers.

Two flyweights who seem poised to line up across from him are veteran Jussier Formiga and up-and-coming talent Louis Smolka. In Formiga, Johnson would be up against a veteran of over twenty fights who was on a three fight winning streak prior to dropping a split decision loss to Henry Cejudo. Formiga has notable wins over former Bellator champion Zach Makovsky and one time title challenger Chris Cariaso. Having fought some of the toughest fighters in the division, Formiga seems like a logical next option for the champ. If he doesn’t tickle your fancy. maybe turn your attention to one of the brightest up and coming stars in the division, Louis Smolka. Riding a three-fight win streak and sporting a record of 10-1 overall, it is clear that Smolka has talent. He is a dynamic finisher with who is as quick to stand and trade as he is to go to the mat and look for a submission. My major concern with Smolka is how he will do on the biggest stage of his career. At just 24 years old, I could see him getting overwhelmed in the moment.

Those two opponents would be enough to tie Johnson with Silva for the title defense record. To surpass Silva, Johnson will need at least one more fight. This is where the search for new talent comes in; for about a week, the UFC had released details about an upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) that would feature flyweights. Not only would the winning fighter be awarded a UFC contract, but also a chance to fight for the title against Demetrious Johnson. As quickly as it was announced, however, it was pulled away. Hopefully the UFC’s creative team is revamping this idea and it will produce a new challenger for Johnson.

Regardless of future matchups there is no debate, at least not for the time being, on who is the pound-for-pound king. As Mighty Mouse makes his way into his throne room with his crown tilted just a bit to one side and his loyal subjects subscribing to his Twitch feed (mightymouseufc125) by the dozen, he can rest easy knowing his kingdom is safe.