On Thursday night, no fighter stood taller than "Mighty Mouse."
Long-reigning UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson conquered a field that included fellow MMA star Conor McGregor and boxing standouts Terence Crawford, Gennady Golovkin, and Andre Ward to win the Best Fighter category at the ESPYs in Los Angeles.
The win should provide some validation for Johnson, who's butted heads with UFC president Dana White over his perceived value to the promotion. Johnson will break the company's record of 10 consecutive title defenses with one more championship win, but his success has gone mostly unnoticed outside of MMA's hardcore fan base.
For one evening at least, Johnson received major mainstream recognition.
With his win, UFC athletes have now taken home the Best Fighter award three years running. McGregor won it in 2016, while Ronda Rousey became the first MMA fighter to snag the ESPY back in 2015.
