JitsCast #65 features Devhonte Johnson, an IBJJF No Gi World champion and veteran competitor who has appeared on virtually every major grappling promotion in the world. Johnson has won several IBJJF no gi majors over the course of his career, after having an excellent colored belt run that saw him world titles at several levels. Johnson has competed at ADCC and is also a frequent fixture at team grappling events; he has been a member of two different Polaris Squads team and one AIGA team in recent years. At the time of writing, Johnson is currently preparing to compete in the IBJJF No Gi Absolute Grand Prix 2026.
Jits Magazine spoke to Johnson to find out how he actually discovered Jiu-Jitsu in the first place, and how his years of Baseball and other sports helped him when he first started grappling. Johnson also gave his take on one of the biggest cliches in Jiu-Jitsu history; the idea that strength doesn’t matter. He spoke about the nature of athleticism itself, and how the top-tier of athletes in the world compare to best that Jiu-Jitsu has to offer. After talking about his own upbringing, Johnson spoke about discovering Unity Jiu-Jitsu as a purple belt and why he decided to join the team.
When talking about his actual competitive career, we wanted to find out more about Johnson’s vast experience with team grappling. He spoke about how he found competing at both Polaris and AIGA, and he compared the pros and cons of the two rulesets. Johnson also spoke about the Craig Jones Invitational 2, where a team representing the Americas was put together. We wanted to find out if Johnson was interested in being on the team for that event and what, if anything, prevented him from making it. He also took a look forward at the upcoming IBJJF Grand Prix and the stacked bracket he’ll be entering for it.
JitsCast #65 with Devhonte Johnson is now available to watch on the official Jits Magazine YouTube channel, click here to subscribe for more or check out they interview below:
