Brett OkamotoMar 29, 2026, 12:59 PM
CloseBrett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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Demetrious Johnson, the UFC’s longest-reigning flyweight champion of all time, is headed to the Hall of Fame.
Johnson, 39, will be inducted into the modern wing of the Hall of Fame later this year, the UFC announced during its Fight Night event on Saturday in Seattle, not far from his hometown.
Johnson (25-4-1) is widely considered the greatest flyweight of all time and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of all time. He defended the UFC’s flyweight championship 11 consecutive times from 2013 to 2017, breaking Anderson Silva‘s record of 10 consecutive title defenses. He retired from mixed martial arts in 2024.
After losing the UFC title to Henry Cejudo via split decision in 2018, Johnson was involved in an unprecedented “trade” in mixed martial arts, when the UFC released him from his contract in order to sign Ben Askren from ONE Championship. Johnson went on to fight exclusively under the ONE banner from 2019 to his retirement.
Johnson, who lived and trained out of Parkland, Washington, was known for his unmatched technique and speed in the 125-pound division. He was a pioneer of the lower weight classes, initially competing in the 135-pound bantamweight division because the flyweight division didn’t exist in the UFC until 2012.