Demetrious Johnson vs Henry Cejudo — Fight recap

Henry Cejudo defeated Demetrious Johnson by split decision over five rounds on August 4, 2018, in a flyweight title clash that saw the challenger upset the defending champion despite significant striking disadvantages. Johnson landed 81 of 134 significant strikes (60%) and controlled the pace for much of the bout, while Cejudo landed just 51 of 147 (34%) but secured three takedowns to Johnson's one, accumulating 4:37 of control time compared to Johnson's 0:36.

Johnson's striking efficiency was particularly evident in the body, where he connected on 19 of 21 attempts, but Cejudo's wrestling and positional dominance in the later rounds proved decisive with the judges. The split decision victory marked a seismic shift in the 125-pound division, dethroning Johnson after nearly six years of dominance and establishing Cejudo as a legitimate titleholder.