Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is one of the world’s most dangerous MMA fighters. But outside the cage, he is a model family man who puts his three kids and wife above everything he does.

One of the reasons why the MMA icon focuses so much of his attention on supporting and caring for his family is because he was often abused by his stepfather as a young boy.

Johnson (23-4-1) – who returns to action in a ONE flyweight world title rematch against Adriano Moraes (20-3) at ONE on Prime Video 1 on August 26 – admits that those dark days have made him determined to be a role model for his two sons and daughter.

“I can look at it as a hindrance, and I can look at it as a negative, but I always look at it as a positive, where it shaped me into the person I am today,” the 35-year-old said. 

“(Experiencing abuse) makes me a better father because I don’t want my children to suffer the same thing.”

The Washington native is an unshakably positive person overall. Even when suffering a loss, like the knockout he was handed by Moraes in their first meeting last year, Johnson refuses to look at things from a negative perspective. 

Instead, he finds a way to make the most of a bad situation, and that mindset has also been a major driving force in his life outside competition. 

The 12-time flyweight MMA world champion understands that what he went through is something no child should have to face, but he has come to take a more empathetic view of the challenging situation he went through as a boy.

“I have no ill-will, no bad feelings whatsoever about that whole experience growing up, but obviously I’m taking a different route with my children,” Johnson noted.

“I can understand where (my stepfather) was coming from. When kids are being disobedient, not listening, and you’re getting frustrated, there’s a path you would take to restore order.

“My stepdad took a different route of raising us and abusing us. That was his choice, and he has to live with that. I would assume he took that more extreme route because that’s all he knew. That’s part of how his parents raised him, but I never got a chance to ask him.”

Johnson’s stepfather is no longer part of his life, and the veteran fighter has put those traumatic experiences behind him. 

That said, “Mighty Mouse” still gets flashbacks from time to time. However, he refuses to let them get the better of him. 

“Going through that type of abuse, you look back on it, and yeah, it sucked. But, it made me tough, it made me listen, and maybe not talk back,” he shared.

Everything he has gone through has helped him become a successful athlete, but more importantly, it has driven him toward being a better husband and father. Balancing all three can get tough at times, but Johnson has done tremendously well at wearing each hat. 

While he admittedly has to sacrifice family time to prepare for his fights, much like he is doing right now ahead of his showdown with Moraes on August 26, the icon makes sure to make up for it by taking his family on vacation afterward.

His well-rounded approach allows him to enjoy his love of combat sports and his downtime with his family, and both serve as a positive outlet for “Mighty Mouse” to focus on.