Legendary MMA fighter Demetrious Johnson had an emotional phone call with street fighter known as ‘Death Sentence’ after successfully coaching him to his initial victory.
Johnson, a retired flyweight world champion often regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever with titles in both the UFC and ONE FC, has recently gained popularity for his YouTube content covering unconventional fights.
As part of a series on his channel, Johnson invited Maraji Johnson, known online as `Death Sentence`, to train for his upcoming Streetbeefs bout. `Death Sentence` is a well-known internet personality, often seen as unskilled in fighting but humorously claiming elite status. He secured his first win last weekend.
An Emotional Moment After the Fight
Demetrious Johnson couldn`t attend the fight at the Streetbeefs Scrapyard in Virginia in person due to filming commitments in the UK with Tom Aspinall. He learned about the outcome via a Facetime call.
Johnson was thrilled to hear that `Death Sentence` not only won but also effectively utilized the grappling techniques they had practiced, leading his opponent, `Illuminate the State`, to quit. Although the opponent claimed an illegal punch, he did not continue the fight after a warning.
Watching the fight remotely, Johnson connected with his friend via Facetime afterward. An excited `Death Sentence` shared the news of his win. Johnson, suppressing a laugh, told him, “You are a warrior, young Mr Death.” `Death Sentence` then ambitiously declared his intention to reach the UFC.
Johnson responded with a touch of realism, suggesting, “Let’s take baby steps.” He asked who was next after the win. `Death Sentence` expressed interest in fighting `Lights Out` next, followed by other names that were difficult to understand.
When `Death Sentence` credited his coach entirely for the victory, Johnson humbly replied, “Congratulations on your first win, all we did was help you out and teach you how to train properly.” He encouraged his friend to “stay focused and keep on training” for his next bout reportedly scheduled for July.
The Training Arc Pays Off
`Death Sentence` is a popular figure on the Streetbeefs YouTube channel, which boasts over 4 million subscribers. Despite his popularity, he had not secured a victory before receiving coaching from Demetrious Johnson, widely considered one of MMA`s best.
Johnson documented their training sessions on his own YouTube channel. The collaboration began after Johnson promised in an episode of his `Mightycast` podcast that he would train `Death Sentence` if the episode surpassed 250,000 views. The episode far exceeded this goal, leading to the training sessions, which included humorous sparring.
Gareth Pendleton