UFC legend Demetrious Johnson got submitted and injured at the IBJJF Masters Worlds, while other BJJ world champs shined
CJI 2 isn’t the only big Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) event this weekend. The 2025 IBJJF World Master Jiu-jitsu Championship is also hosted in Las Vegas from Thursday up to Saturday afternoon, right before the Craig Jones Invitational event starts.
Several big names and BJJ world champions that are age 30 and above have joined the IBJJF Masters Worlds this year, and among the more notable competitors were longtime UFC world champion Demetrious Johnson, and UFC BJJ exclusive grappler Ffion Davies.
Demetrious Johnson submitted, injured in first match at IBJJF Masters Worlds
UFC legend Demetrious Johnson may have hung up his gloves, but he has continued competing in the gi after his MMA career. He dominated the 2023 IBJJF Masters Worlds as a brown belt, before struggling in two major tournamentsas a fresh blackbelt.
The 39-year-old joined the Masters 2 (for age 35 and up) featherweight division, where he faced a familiar foe from last year. Johnson beat (then consoled) Takuto Kako in 2024, but the Japanese grappler got revenge a year later at the 2025 IBJJF Masters Worlds.
After a close start to their match, Kako kept threatening with K-guard entries to Johnson’s left leg, before he eventually switched over and went to 50-50 position to go after his right leg. Kako, who was down by an advantage, showed that veteran experience and locked in a kneebar in the final minute to force Johnson to tap.
The UFC legend went on to say after that his knee popped from the submission as well.
“I felt about one or two pops,” Demetrious Johnson said after the match. “(When) he was going back to it I was like ‘ah f—k that’ and I tapped. It’s part of the game. At the end of the day, I would be f—ng mad as f—k if I had to get surgery for doing a competition where I’m not making any money.”
“I tapped and he got his revenge. He got his revenge.”
“It hurts. It feels tight. I believe it’s my MCL,” Johnson said.
Takuto Kako went on to win two more matches, before losing in the semi-finals and going home with a bronze medal.
UFC BJJ’s Ffion Davies, other world champs win gold at 2025 Masters Worlds
Top pound-for-pound BJJ star and exclusively signed UFC grapplerFfion Davies, also competed at the 2025 IBJJF Masters Worlds. The ADCC world champion hasn’t competed in the gi since winning her second IBJJF world title in 2023, but she just picked up where she left off.
The 30-year-old Davies won the Master 1 (age 30 and up) lightweight division (141.6 lbs), winning four matches and taking her first gold medal in the gi in two years.
Other top level grapplers also took home gold medals at from the 2025 Masters Worlds. Two-time world champ Melissa Cueto, 2024 IBJJF world champ Jackson Nagai, CJI 2 Team Europe coach Faris Benlamkadem, and BJJ legend Joao Miyao, all won at their respective Master 1 divisions.
Tayane Poririo, who ended Gabi Pessanha’s legendary win streak last May, also won double gold at the event.
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Category: General Sports
