Demetrious Johnson is one of the most accomplished MMA fighters ever ... and out of all the titles he's won and defended, the gold medal he took home at a high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tourney may be the most special!
TMZ Sports talked to 37-year-old Johnson days after securing the top spot on the podium at the Master 2 featherweight brown belt division at the IBJJF Masters Worlds ... where he went 6-0, outlasting the 40-competitor field.
"I just fell in love with it. The art of it. And, using the Gi as a tool to be able to strangle your opponent or be able to manipulate their body in certain ways has been fascinating to me," DJ told us.