“My Stepdad Took a Different Route…” – Demetrious Johnson Opens Up About Childhood Abuse and Why He Wants to Become a Better Dad

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is a model family man who puts his three kids and wife above everything he does.

The main reason why the AMC Pankration and Evolve MMA fighter focuses so much of his attention on supporting and caring for his family is because of the abuse that came his way from his stepfather as a young boy.

“Mighty Mouse”, who returns to the global stage versus Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes at ONE on Prime Video 1, admits that those days have made him eager to be a better role model and a positive influence to 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,” he said ahead of his battle that broadcasts live on North American Primetime on August 26.

After all, the 12-time MMA World Champion is an unshakeably positive person.

Even after suffering his first career defeat via knockout last year, the Washington native never views tragedies from a negative standpoint.

Demetrious Johnson has no regrets about his stepfather’s actions

Instead, the 35-year-old 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.

“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 added.

“I can understand where he [his 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.”

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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.

After all the sacrifices, MMA GOAT is prepared to regain the title

Balancing all three can get tough at times, but Johnson has done tremendously well 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 ONE on Prime Video 1, Johnson 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 martial arts and his downtime with his family, and both serve as a positive outlet for the MMA GOAT.

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