Michael Johnson: There Is No Champ In The UFC’s Lightweight Division
No. 5-ranked UFC lightweight Michael Johnson just threw some major shade at 155-pound champ Conor McGregor.
McGregor is currently set to make his professional boxing debut when he takes on undefeated legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. next month in Las Vegas, Nevada. Johnson is currently set to welcome UFC newcomer Justin Gathje to the Octagon at The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale (TUF 25 Finale), and recently made the media rounds to help promote the bout.
Johnson stated that he believes the UFC’s 155-pound division is currently without a champion, as he thinks “The Notorious One” vacated the lightweight throne the moment he signed on to fight Mayweather (quotes via MMA Junkie):
“We don’t have a champ in this division,” Johnson said. “Once Conor signed that contract to go box, to me, he vacated the title. That’s how it should be. I’ve beaten two of the top guys up there. I want to make a strong case for fighting for a title or an interim title. I think that’s in my future.”
Gathje is a highly-touted prospect coming in from the World Series Of Fighting (WSOF) where he reigned as the promotion’s lightweight champion. He is currently undefeated in his mixed martial arts (MMA) career and is known for his vicious brawling style.
Johnson is confident that he’ll be able to overcome Gathje’s pressuring presence, and believes that he was chosen to fight him because Gathje wanted to take an easy fight for his UFC debut:
“I feel like they looked at the top 10 and were like, ‘We want Michael Johnson, he’s the easiest guy in there to fight,’” Johnson said. “I feel tested. That’s my motivation, that’s where it’s coming from. It’s his first fight in the UFC. I don’t need to make him nervous. He’s nervous enough already.
“He’s fought guys who have been everywhere around the world, who have been in promotions, who have been champions, but he’s fought them at the end of the rope. I’ve fought the best of the best in the middle of their prime. I’ve lost to some, I’ve beaten some. He’s been around the corner, but I have as well. My competition blows his out of the water.”
