Demetrious Johnson is an American mixed martial artist and he is considered to be one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. He currently fights in the ONE Championship and holds a record of 30 wins, four losses and one draw in 35 professional matches. When he was with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), he became the inaugural UFC Flyweight Champion. Johnson is known for his quick striking and elusive movement. He holds the record for the most takedowns in UFC flyweight history and the latest finish in UFC history with a submission win, with only one second left in the fifth round. On top of that, he is also currently ranked No. 1 in the ONE Championship flyweight rankings. In this article, however, we will be talking about Demetrious Johnson’s wife, Destiny Johnson.
Demetrious Johnson’s wife: Destiny Johnson
As successful as Demetrious Johnson has been throughout his career, he credits Destiny Johnson as the “best thing that has ever happened to me.” Her support made him who he is as a person.
Let us now learn more about the one who gives him strength, Destiny Johnson.
Destiny Bartels was born on May 3rd, 1987, in Fort Worth, Texas. Her father was part of the US Marines and she says that he taught her a lot of things including how to respect other people. Not much more is known about her family, aside from her having at least two siblings, one of whom, Cody Bartels, is a musician.
Similar to Demetrious Johnson, Destiny did not have an easy life growing up. She shared that she had self-destructive tendencies, but said that she hid her feelings so well that no one knew what she was going through. What made her life more difficult growing up was her stepfather, whom she said was not easy to get along with.
As for her education, Destiny Bartels went to Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom in Lakewood, Washington. She worked at the Red Lobster from 2003 to 2009 as a bartender and server. She also worked as an LPO Closing Assistant with Fidelity Escrow, Inc. in 2008, as well as a K8 Registration Specialist at the Washington Virtual Academy.
Let us now get into how the couple met and their love story, which has been going on for more than a decade.
Destiny Bartels first met Demetrious Johnson at Red Lobster in 2006, when he was still starting out as a professional mixed martial arts fighter. Destiny said that his work ethic was unmatched and she admired him for pursuing his goals even though he had a full-time job at that time.
“100 percent, his work ethic is unmatchable. I don’t know anybody that can work as hard as he does and smart as he does,” Destiny said, per Jay Furness of onefc.com. “He has a goal, and whenever he sets that goal he’s able to just kind of milestone it – set [targets] one by one – and he’ll do whatever it takes.
“There’s determination and a strong mindset that means he sets his goals and he knows to assess all the things that it’ll take to get there, and he’s able to implement them and achieve them.”
After dating for about four years, Destiny Bartels and Demetrious Johnson tied the knot in Hawaii on May 11th, 2012. She then officially changed her name to Destiny Johnson, acquiring the surname of her husband.
After their marriage, Demetrious Johnson was forced to prepare for a fight that was scheduled on June 8th, 2012. Destiny fully supported her husband and all of the training did not go in vain, as he won the match via unanimous decision. Johnson then went on to win the inaugural UFC Flyweight Championship that same year.
Throughout his career, Destiny Johnson has been pillar of strength for the “Mighty Mouse,” keeping him ground and motivated. He has repeatedly said that his wife is the best thing that has ever happened to him and that his life would be incomplete without her. Demetrious Johnson has also said that she helped him move on from a rough childhood.
Unfortunately, time away from family is part of the life of a professional athlete. Luckily, Destiny Johnson understands this fully and she holds the fort at home whenever her husband is preparing for a fight.
“Birthdays, weddings, field trips, parties – he’s had to miss out on those because he’s training,” she says.
“I think those are crucial for a lot of people, but I think for us we’ve just found ways to try to look at the positives and know that he is obtaining a goal. He’s definitely been able to show that his sacrifices have led him to be able to obtain victories.”
Because of her husband’s professional nickname, Mighty Mouse, Destiny Johnson is being called the “Mighty Wife,” a moniker she loves— even using it in social media posts. She is also well respected by many of her peers and her husband’s fellow MMA fighters.
As of this writing, Destiny Johnson and Demetrious Johnson have three children: Tyson, born in 2013, Maverick, born in 2015, and a daughter who was born in 2018.
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This year, the couple celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary. There's no doubt they will go on for many more decades, building on a rock solid foundation through trust, respect and understanding.
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As of now, that is all we know about the Mighty Wife — Destiny Johnson, Demetrious Johnson’s wife.