‘Mighty Mouse’ Heads For The WEC

By Frank Curreri

Matt Hume has coached numerous fighters with “UFC champion” and “world champion” on their resumes, yet none possessed athletic gifts on par with Demetrious Johnson.

Hume is not prone to hyperbole, so when he repeatedly raves about the unbeaten 23-year-old in his camp, you can’t help but wonder if the next elite bantamweight will be unveiled when Johnson (A.K.A. “DJ” and “Mighty Mouse”) makes his WEC debut against Britain’s Brad Pickett on April 24 in Sacramento.

“I expect that DJ will be a world champion,” Hume said. “Once in a blue moon these guys like GSP (Georges St. Pierre) come along who are extremely athletic and also extremely disciplined. And Demetrious Johnson is one of those guys. Now people are going to say, ‘Who is Demetrious Johnson?’ because he hasn’t had the exposure yet. But he’s the same make of someone like GSP who has the complete package. There really is no ceiling for this kid.”

So far, Johnson’s spectacular performances have matched his sublime potential. Despite logging 40 hours a week at a recycling plant – getting to work at 6:15 a.m. each weekday the Washington state native has jumped out to a 9-0 record. He owns the deep arsenal necessary to keep foes off-balance, as evidenced by his mix of KOs and submissions. In fact, Johnson fought just last month and put his opponent out cold on the canvas with a high kick.

Speaking with Johnson, especially after hearing others hail his beastliness, can easily leave you guessing where his competitive killer instinct comes from. Or if it exists at all. Because his friendliness and politeness rival that of any fighter in the game, and that gentility comes across as natural to his character.

“I’m a relaxed guy,” he said. “I don’t like hurting people. I feel bad after the fight is over. I know it’s a sport.”

Raised in Parkland, a Tacoma, Wash., suburb, Johnson owes his manners to his mother, a single mother of three who also instilled in him that he could be anything he wanted to be. Johnson said his mother happened to be legally deaf, but was able to read lips and did not use sign language. Ever the athlete, Demetrious played football in high school and was also on the cross country and track and field teams. His best sport was wrestling, where he placed three times at the state tournament, including a state runner-up showing. His life had been a bit sheltered; Johnson had never flown on an airplane in his life – not that he can recall, at least – until his fight last month, when he flew to Alaska. A lot of MMA fighters might not be thrilled about flying to such a remote location for a fight.

“I do what I’m told by the big dog,” Johnson said, referring to Matt Hume. “I see myself as a soldier and I’m here to work. He said we’re going to Alaska, so I went to Alaska.

“For me, flying … I know the world and stuff now. I was like, ‘Oh, man, I’m on an airplane, and mama’s not here, and no family member is here, I’m going for business. So it was actually kind of exciting because I’m out there doing my thing and becoming a professional fighter.”

It is one of the beauties of Johnson; he takes instruction well. He’s a fast learner and doesn’t coast on his athleticism, even though he has executed handstands and cartwheels in live fights.

“You’ve got guys that are incredibly athletic that come in all the time,” Hume said. “And then you’ve got guys that are extremely motivated and disciplined. And usually those aren’t the same people. It’s kind of how God evens things out. Usually the athletic guys are a little bit lazy because they’ve had everything easy most of their lives, in terms of athletics.

“Demetrious Johnson is one of the most talented guys that I’ve worked with, and I’ve worked with a lot of world champions. When you have guys like Rich Franklin and Matt Brown in your room, it’s hard to say anybody works harder than either of those guys. DJ is the same as both of those guys -- but he is way more athletic. I mean, his cardio is insane. He keeps a pace that is unmatched. If you gave DJ’s athleticism to Rich Franklin or Matt Brown, nobody would know about anybody else in their divisions.”

They call him “Mighty Mouse,” and Johnson is not the least bit insulted at wearing the nickname. He’s 5’3, 144 pounds, yet regularly manhandles much larger opponents in the gym. He’s even entertained the idea of a Mighty Mouse tattoo.

He has been busy studying every piece of video he can find on Brad Pickett (18-4), a Brit who trains at American Top Team and boast dangerous hands and submissions.

“I think Brad Pickett is a very tough fighter,” Johnson said. “I’m watching a lot of videos on him. It’s just going to come out to how I perform that night. It doesn’t matter whose good it’s just comes down to not making a mistake that night and who’s going to capitalize on any mistake.

“Brad Pickett doesn’t know anything about me. Nobody out there does, unless you do a lot, lotta’ research on me. I’m just going to have to go out there and do my best and see what happens, you know?”