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LAS VEGAS – Not only did UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson make history on Saturday at UFC 216, but he did so with maximum style points, submitting Ray Borg with a brilliant armbar setup.

Johnson (27-2-1 MMA, 15-1-1 UFC) forced Borg (11-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) to tap out in the fifth round of the UFC 216 co-headliner, which took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and UFC Fight Pass. With the win, “Mighty Mouse” earned his 11th consecutive title defense, surpassing Anderson Silva’s longstanding all-time record.

It’s been a goal of Johnson’s to set himself apart from all other champions in UFC history, and his performance against Borg helped him do that in several key categories. Johnson’s reign has lasted more than five years, and in arguably the most crucial fight for his legacy so far, he said he wasn’t going to be denied.

“There was a long time ago in PRIDE: (Mirko) ‘Cro-Cop’ (Filipovic), it was his birthday, and he had that look on his face like nobody was going to take that championship away from him,” Johnson told reporters at the UFC 216 post-fight news conference. “That’s how I felt (Saturday). I felt like no one was going to take this away from me. The weight cut went easy. All my training sessions went easy. I kind of did whatever I wanted this week. Everything just felt good. When I fight guys who are my size – 5-foot-3, 5-foot-5 – it’s fine. You never know you’re going to win until the referee pulls you off.”

Although Johnson’s place in history will be argued by some due to his level of competition and the fact he’s gone into nearly every fight as a colossal betting favorite, his ability inside the octagon is second to none.

Johnson’s stunning finish was met universally with praise and astonishment, but he said he knew exactly what he was doing when he tossed Borg in the air and locked up his limb.

“It was another day in the office,” Johnson said. “Every fight is like the last one. It was special to pull that off that finish. I’ve been working on that submission in the gym. I was so tired from doing it, but I’ve practiced it a 1,000 times, and that’s what I got. My coach said, ‘You mastered it in the gym and pulled it off in the octagon.’”

Having essentially cleared out the entire queue of relevant 125-pound challengers, Johnson’s next move is up in the air. He’s received some pressure from both the fans and UFC brass to test his skills against fighters in the bantamweight division, but Johnson doesn’t appear keen on making the change unless he’s awarded significantly greater compensation.

Johnson said prior to the bout with Borg that he view the winner of the UFC 218 matchup between Henry Cejudo (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Sergio Pettis (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) as the most likely next contender. However, when asked about the future following UFC 216, Johnson dismissed all questions, opting instead to revel in the greatness of his most recent major accomplishment.

“I’m going to go home and spend time with my family and soak this one in,” Johnson said. “My motivation is to get better and to work on everything. Everyone is so quick to jump to the next one. It’s been 25 minutes since the fight. I’m going to spend some time with my family and kids, and enjoy this for a little bit.”

For complete coverage of UFC 216, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

Filed under: News, UFC, Videos