UFC 191: Demetrious Johnson Fires Back at Critics And “Uneducated Fools”

That’s because he has another chance to knock Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight titleholder Demetrious Johnson’s head off when the dynamic duo face-off at UFC 191, which takes place inside MGM Grand Garden Arena (full fight card here) on September 5, 2015. “There are still a lot of guys I haven’t fought”. If that is indeed the case, he’s obviously peaking at the right time regardless of his age, which many would perhaps unnecessarily deem to be too old for a fighter. “The Pitbull” has defied both expectations and Mother Nature by rampaging his way to a No. 4 ranking, led in large part by his electrifying knockout over perennial contender Travis Browne at UFC 187. It’s a narrative that has been tied to Johnson for a quite a while now, even though, “Mighty Mouse” has finished four of his last five opponents. “I think the top 10 right now is extremely stacked”, Mir said.

Considered as one of the strongest strikers in the division, Dodson is also known as the fighter who has pushed the champion to the limit during their earlier championship battle, going toe-to-toe against Johnson but coming up short in the judges’ scorecards.

Demetrious Johnson enters this fight with a 21-2-1 record and 43 percent of his fights by decision. But for a reason more timely, Mir simply didn’t expect to be asked back on such a quick turnaround after slaying Todd Duffee last month with the mother of all punches.

“You have two men in it, who weigh 125 pounds, and we’re both 5-foot-3, and you’re in a 25-foot Octagon”, Johnson said. Bagautinov would see his 11-fight winning streak brought to a halt by Johnson at UFC 174 in Vancouver, abd the setback was amplified by a failed post-fight drug test that forced the scrappy Russian to the sidelines for one year.

“I hope a year from now, that will be the best I’ve ever been”.

If Mir was caught off guard by the UFC’s scheduling request, he was even more thunderstruck once he realized who matchmakers actually wanted him to fight. I was going forward and he was going back. Johnson is possibly the best-rounded fighter in the Flyweight division, as he can outstrike the best wrestlers and out grapple the best strikers.

“At one point in time in my career, it was like, ‘Oh, he never finishes anybody.’ Then next thing you know, I’m breaking people’s arms and making them tap out and knocking them out”, Johnson said.

Added Johnson: “You can’t make everyone in the world happy”. The wrestling standout turned mixed martial artist has been steadily building his momentum and skill set as he’s ascended the flyweight ladder, and the bout against Formiga represents the next level of competition for him.

When Fabricio Werdum upset the heavyweight pecking order by submitting longtime divisional king Cain Velazquez in June, it seemed a whole new universe of fresh challengers and matchups had opened up.

Now in preparation for an intriguing match-up against fellow former champion Andrei Arlovski at UFC 191, Mir reflected on the division’s history and how the current Top 15 in the list are a step ahead of the remaining field. “Once the time comes and I have broken the record and [accomplished] goals that I [set], then I’ll start thinking about going to 135”.

Arlovski – who edged Werdum in a 2007 fight – doesn’t want to talk about it.