UFC officials announced during Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 271 broadcast that former longtime 125-pound titleholder Johnson (25-4-1 MMA, 15-2-1 UFC) will be enshrined into the modern wing during the International Fight Week ceremony this summer.
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Johnson, who made a UFC record 11 consecutive title defenses from January 2013 to October 2017, will become the first flyweight fighter to get a place in the UFC Hall of Fame.
At 39, “Mighty Mouse” hasn’t competed since his final MMA bout in October 2023, which came under the ONE Championship banner. He made his final octagon appearance in August 2018 when his title reign came to an end in a split decision defeat to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227.
Johnson’s UFC tenure came to a shocking end in October 2018 when he was “traded” to ONE Championship for Ben Askren in a landmark deal between the organizations.
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Since retirement, Johnson has maintained a presence in the MMA space through his YouTube channel, collaborations with other fighters, and more.
In addition to his record number of title defenses, Johnson’s list of notable victories included Cejudo, Kyoji Horiguchi, John Dodson (twice), Joseph Benavidez (twice), and more.
Johnson is the second announced induction for the 2026 UFC Hall of Fame class, alongside Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk from UFC 248, which joins the fight wing.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Demetrious Johnson joins 2026 UFC Hall of Fame
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