Demetrious Johnson faced a tough moment at the 2025 IBJJF Masters Worlds in Las Vegas, tapping out due to a leg injury during a submission loss to Takuto Kako on August 29, 2025. The former UFC flyweight champion competed in the Master 2 featherweight division but withdrew after the defeat. Meanwhile, Ffion Davies, a top BJJ star signed to UFC’s grappling events, won gold in the Master 1 lightweight division, adding to her impressive resume. The event, held at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino from August 29–31.
Johnson’s Injury and Defeat
Johnson, a black belt in the Master 2 featherweight division (154.6 pounds, ages 35+), advanced past the first round when Pedro Eduardo Hermosa Jr. did not show up. In the second round, he faced Takuto Kako, a multiple-time IBJJF Asia champion he defeated by points in 2024. The match was scoreless at 0-0, with Johnson leading 1-0 in advantages. Kako targeted Johnson’s legs, starting with K-guard entries on the left leg, then switching to a 50-50 position. With under a minute left, Kako locked a kneebar on Johnson’s right leg, causing one or two pops. Johnson tapped, suspecting an MCL injury, and withdrew. Kako won two more matches before losing to Osvaldo Moizinho in the semifinals, earning bronze.
Knee bar from 50/50.
50/50スイープを耐えるため向きを変え、かつ走って逃げようと膝が伸びた瞬間を狙って抱えのニーバー。
一瞬だったけど、ガッチリ極まって、ちょっと鳴りました。 pic.twitter.com/y2RVf6Ytuy— Takuto Kako:加古拓渡 (@takutokako) August 29, 2025
After the loss, Johnson described the injury:
“I felt about one or two pops. (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.”
He acknowledged Kako’s win, saying:
“I tapped and he got his revenge. He got his revenge.”On the injury’s severity, he added, “It hurts. It feels tight. I believe it’s my MCL.”
Davies’s Gold Medal Performance
Ffion Davies, 30, competed in the Master 1 lightweight division (141.6 pounds, ages 30+). After skipping gi competitions since her 2023 IBJJF world title, she won four matches on August 28, 2025. Her path included a quarterfinal win over Alex Enriquez via choke from the back, a semifinal submission of Luciane Dos Santos Silva via armbar, and a final win by points against Jennifer Rivera. Davies’s technical skill and submission prowess secured her gold.
Johnson, 39, held the UFC flyweight title from 2012 to 2018 with 11 defenses against fighters like Joseph Benavidez and Henry Cejudo. Traded to ONE Championship in 2018, he went 5-1, winning the flyweight title in 2022 and retiring in 2024. In BJJ, a black belt since April 2024, he won gold at the 2023 IBJJF Masters Worlds and gold and silver at the 2024 IBJJF Pans. Davies has IBJJF world titles in 2018 and 2023 and ADCC gold in 2019 and 2022. Her UFC FPI 11 win over Adele Fornarino in May 2025 was a split decision.
