Alexander Volkanovski reclaimed the featherweight title with an impressive victory over Diego Lopes at UFC 314. The win made history, as Volkanovski became the first fighter over the age of 35 to become a UFC champion in any division below welterweight.
Despite the accomplishment, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson recently downplayed it, citing his own performances in ONE Championship after turning 35. A former long-reigning UFC flyweight champion, Johnson retired after an impressive stint overseas.
Demetrious Johnson Shares Thoughts About Alexander Volkanovski’s Title Triumph
Johnson recently broke down the UFC 314 main event between Volkanovski and Lopes on his YouTube channel. While analyzing the fight, Johnson acknowledged the stat about Volkanovski being 36 and becoming champion again, but didn’t seem overly impressed.
“It’s not frustrating, but there’s been other athletes outside of the UFC who’ve done it before,” Johnson said. The 38-year-old pointed out that the stat mainly highlights how dominant the UFC is in the MMA world. “That just shows you how big the UFC is. Like Ariel Helwani hinted on it — it’s that there’s UFC, and there’s nothing in between. Like nobody else or nobody recognizes any other organization.”
Still, Johnson showed respect for Volkanovski and pointed out his own similar achievement. “I think I’ve done it against Adriano when I did the flying [knee]; I was 36 years old, and then I defended at 37, I think. But anyhow, yeah, absolutely amazing.”
Interestingly, Johnson noted that winning a title at an older age in a heavier weight class might be more impressive than doing so at a lighter weight — going against the common belief that heavier fighters tend to have longer careers.
Demetrious Johnson Picked Against Alexander Volkanovski
Before UFC 314, Johnson shared his predictions on his YouTube channel. He picked Lopes to win the main event.
He said, “I kind of find it hard to see him outwork a very younger, talented Diego Lopes. I just don’t see it. But what I can see happening is that when they get in that gunfight, that exchange — and if Diego Lopes is able to catch him on the chin.”
Johnson based his pick on Volkanovski’s recent knockout losses to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 and Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
That said, Johnson didn’t rule out a Volkanovski win — he simply believed “The Great” would need to fight a perfect 25 minutes. While Volkanovski wasn’t flawless, he did enough to win at least three of the five rounds on all three judges’ scorecards.