Demetrious Johnson’s journey at the 2025 IBJJF World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Las Vegas only lasted one match.
The legendary MMA veteran, a former UFC and ONE flyweight champion, flew to Las Vegas to put his black belt to the test in the Master 2 featherweight division and advanced to the second round after Pedro Eduardo, his first opponent, did not show up.
Takuto Kako, a multiple-time BIJJF champion in Asia, was awaiting him for the second match. Johnson was up 1-0 in advantages with the score
tied 0-0 when Kako secured a foot lock with less than a minute left, forcing Johnson to tap.
Kako lost a decision to Johnson at the 2024 IBJJF World Masters, and a video went viral of the MMA star consoling him after the match.
“It’s still good,” Johnson said in 2024. “There’s next year. This is for fun. Your life’s not going to change. You’re going to go home, keep on training, have a beautiful wife, kids, go back to work. This is for fun. There’s more to life than winning, I promise.”
Kako won his following match against Eric Joseph Ceballos before losing to Ermilio Lucas Ferreira on the semifinal to return home with the bronze medal.
