UFC Champ Demetrious Johnson Talks His Other Career: Streaming Games On Twitch

When the UFC elevated to incorporate a men’s flyweight division in 2012, Demetrious Johnson emerged as its first champion. fast ahead 5 years and “Mighty Mouse” nonetheless dons the championship belt. He has not handiest constantly been the very best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, however Johnson has been so dominant that the UFC’s fact express, the final word Fighter, dedicated one among its 2016 seasons to finding someone to beat him – a fight that Johnson also won. regardless of having his eye on the document for many title defenses in UFC historical past – an honor at the moment held via the legendary Anderson Silva – Johnson has dedicated himself to rising his audience streaming video games on Twitch.

this article was once at the start printed in issue 289 of game Informer

Johnson is a lifelong gamer, which explains why an elite athlete in one of the world’s biggest sports companies is passionate about streaming video games. The 30-yr-previous fondly recollects his first game of tremendous Contra on NES, which he performed with his mom.

much more not too long ago, Johnson entered the world of Twitch, which he first become aware of in 2014. “I was rocking my first-born son to sleep and looking at a streamer play Mega Man X,” he says. “My spouse kind of opened the door to my streaming, as she informed me to have a look at it as a way to have interaction with my fanatics on a unique platform.”

Johnson began streaming below the title Mightymouseufc125. The fighter performs high-profile games, showing off everything from Ghost Recon: Wildlands and H1Z1 to Resident Evil 7 and boulevard Fighter V. alternatively, he deliberately avoids streaming UFC video games. “after I began streaming [my audience] demanded it,” he says. “I tell them that I do this day by day for a residing, so i do not need to simulate it on a console.”

in addition to his favorite streaming games, Johnson has numerous love for the dark Souls collection, calling the 0.33 entry his favorite sport of 2016. he is additionally expecting combating video games akin to Tekken 7 and wonder vs. Capcom endless.

Johnson is a high-power presence within the Octagon, but he takes a different option to streaming. whereas many streamers play up their personalities on digicam, Johnson refuses. “I you need to be as pure as conceivable as a result of i am in it for the lengthy haul, now not for a handy guide a rough buck,” he says. “i love playing video games and interacting with my lovers in the platform more than preventing, in fact.”

it would sound atypical to hear a professional athlete on the pinnacle of his profession casually say he likes his pastime greater than his sport, but Johnson sees streaming as greater than only a interest. in step with him, his priorities are his family, then training, then streaming. “there’ll come some degree and time in my existence when streaming might be my full-time job, if i will make it to that stage financially,” he says. “at this time, fighting will pay the bills.”

Johnson has grown his target audience abruptly, producing over 300 movies on the provider and accumulating just about ninety,000 followers to indicate for it. while Johnson says he’s at all times searching for new the way to evolve as a streamer, even going as far as building a dedicated streaming room in his new house, he is appreciative of how being referred to as a UFC champion has helped develop his target market. “My blended martial arts fame has helped me get a decent start constructing an target audience, however it’s nonetheless a grind and i want extra emotes slots [laughs],” he says.

though he is fascinated by his subsequent title safety against Wilson Reis this Saturday on Fox, Johnson says he thinks a specific video game character would supply him an enormous challenge in the ring even though he did not have his powers or a significant weight benefit: street Fighter’s Akuma. “he is consumed via rage so it might be hard to take him down,” he says.

“Mighty Mouse” displays no indicators of slowing down in either the Octagon or on Twitch. If his ascension into streaming and Twitch partnership is any indication, Johnson may very smartly attain his goal streaming full-time. 

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