Imagine being related to one of the greatest mixed martial arts practitioners of all time. How cool would that be?! It’s one thing to be related to a UFC fighter, or even be in the presence of one—it’s a whole different deal when said UFC fighter is considered the flyweight GOAT with a legacy across two MMA promotions. We’re talking about Demetrious Johnson, of course. While we know about Johnson’s wife and children, what about his siblings?
In his recent conversation on Outta Pocket with RGIII, Demetrious Johnson opened up about his family, discussing his brother and sister who belong to the LGBTQ+ community. Without any further ado, let’s dive into it.
Demetrious Johnson opens up about his siblings
While having a one-on-one conversation with Robert Griffin III, Demetrious Johnson opened up about his relationship with his siblings. The former UFC and ONE championship revealed that his brother is gay and his sister is a lesbian, “My sister, she was a lesbian. I have a brother, he likes men and it’s a hard subject because I keep it real,” said Johnson.
The fighter further revealed that he doesn’t have any problem with his siblings and he loves all of them equally. Robert Griffin III listened intently until he almost jumped out of his seat laughing when DJ said this, “I tell my brother all the time, ‘Don’t be coming over here with all that gay s—.’ I told my kids that, too… We knew he was gay to begin with…We didn’t care. We still love him. He’s cool.”
‘Mighty Mouse’ further emphasized that he understands the importance of co-existing with others and has no issues with his brother. He also highlighted that his children must follow his rules while living under his roof, but once they leave home, they are free to decide their own path. Well, Johnson didn’t reveal the names of his siblings, but that doesn’t stop us from peeking into his childhood, which wasn’t a bed of roses to begin with.
‘Mighty Mouse’ had a rough childhood
We know Demetrious Johnson as one of the most accomplished fighters of all time but behind the accolades is a past laden with trauma for him. While troubled childhoods aren’t new in the realm of martial arts, Demetrious Johnson’s story is something very different. Before he even stepped inside the Octagon, ‘Mighty Mouse’ had to deal with an abusive stepfather due to the absence of his biological father. In addition to that, he didn’t even know that he had a sister up until middle school.
While having a conversation with a renowned journalist, Ariel Helwani, Demetrious Johnson revealed that he never knew about his sister and he never met his real father till he was 31, “[I found out my mother was deaf] when I met my sister for the first time. We were in middle school… My sister knew. I was living with my mom the whole time [and I didn’t notice].”
The former UFC and ONE champion revealed that he met his biological father for the first time in 2018. Since then, his father has apologized for abandoning them, and they have maintained a good relationship. At his ONE Championship retirement speech, Johnson even thanked his father. With a troubled childhood, ‘Mighty Mouse’ has proved that you don’t have to let past wounds define your present and future success.
What do you think of Demetrious Johnson’s revelation? Is his story one that inspires you? Do let us know in the comments down below.
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