Demetrious Johnson on UFC on FOX 24 ratings: ‘I’m very proud of myself’

Reigning UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson continues to prove his worth as the sport’s current top pound-for-pound fighter. On Saturday night at UFC on Fox, he submitted Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Wilson Reis in the third round, equaling Anderson Silva’s record for ten consecutive title defenses.

Despite Johnson’s record-setting performance, he still cannot seem to get the respect he richly deserves. After the fight, it was later noted that the card’s overnight ratings dropped to an all-time low in UFC on FOX history.

From his end, “Mighty Mouse” seems unbothered by the ratings, while recognizing that the said event may have had very little promotional effort behind it.

“The first time I saw a commercial for my fight was UFC 210,” Johnson said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour (via MMA Fighting). “The last one, the first time I saw a commercial was one week before my fight. No one around here [his hometown] knew I was fighting, just because they didn’t see a commercial.”

“If you don’t like what I did Saturday night, if you don’t like how a white belt who’s never done one gi jiu-jitsu tournament submitting a black belt, that’s your bad. But I’m very proud of myself.”

At 30 years of age, Johnson has practically cleaned out the UFC’s 125-pound division, and has managed to bring himself within the ranks of of all-time greats like Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, and Jon Jones. While retirement may still be a distant possibility, he is already satisfied with his accomplishments and the legacy he would be leaving behind, despite not being the most beloved champion.

“I think, truly, when I’m done fighting, I think people will miss how I went about approaching my fights,” Johnson said. “No bullsh-t, just pure dominance, I guess.”