Lavar Johnson facts for kids

Lavar F. Johnson (born June 11, 1977) is an American bare-knuckle boxer. He used to be a professional Heavyweight mixed martial artist. He competed from 2004 to 2014. During his career, he fought in major organizations. These included the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, and Bellator MMA.

Lavar Johnson's Early Life

Lavar Johnson grew up in Madera, California. He was a talented football player in high school. His coach at Madera High School even gave him the nickname "Black Superman." After high school, Johnson continued to play football. He was a great outside linebacker and strong safety. He played at Merced College and then at a semi-professional level. Johnson also competed in Toughman Contests. He did very well in these contests. This success led him to start a career in professional mixed martial arts.

Lavar Johnson's MMA Journey

Starting in WEC

Lavar Johnson began his professional mixed martial arts career on January 16, 2004. His first fight was in the WEC. He lost to Doug Marshall by TKO. TKO means "technical knockout," which happens when the referee stops the fight. This first fight was a bit tricky for Johnson. He faced several low blows. Also, he had not trained much for this fight. He had only hit a heavy bag.

After that, Johnson won his next fight. He defeated Levi Thornbrue by TKO. He also knocked out Fred Diaz at WEC 11: Evolution. Johnson then fought twice outside of the WEC. He won both of these fights quickly. He returned to WEC to fight Corey Salter. Johnson won by making Salter give up due to strikes. In his last WEC fight, Johnson lost to Brian Olsen. He had to stop fighting because of a knee injury.

After his knee injury, Johnson took a break from fighting. He worked as a delivery driver for Budweiser. He said he needed a "real" job to pay for his medical costs. He returned to fighting after about two and a half years. His first fight back was a loss to Alijah Reni. But then, he won his next four fights. All of these wins were quick stoppages. This led him to sign with Strikeforce.

Fighting in Strikeforce

Johnson's first fight in Strikeforce was against Carl Seumanutafa. He knocked Seumanutafa out with a punch in just 18 seconds. This happened at Strikeforce Challengers: Evangelista vs. Aina. Johnson landed an uppercut as his opponent tried to take him down.

Johnson was set to fight Lolohea Mahe next. Their match became the main event at Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs. Mahe. Johnson won this fight by TKO in the second round.

He then faced Bellator fighter Virgil Zwicker. Johnson knocked him out with punches in the first round. This fight was at Strikeforce Challengers: Bowling vs. Voelker.

Johnson also fought in a special match for the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Tournament. He lost to Shane Del Rosario by armbar in the first round. An armbar is a move that hyperextends the opponent's arm.

His next fight was against Shawn Jordan. Johnson lost this fight by submission in the second round. He had an injury to his right elbow and left knee. He took time off to heal these injuries.

Reaching the UFC

Lavar Johnson made his UFC debut on January 28, 2012. He defeated Joey Beltran by KO in the first round. KO means "knockout," where an opponent is unable to continue. This win earned him a "Knockout of the Night" bonus award.

Just over three months later, Johnson had his second UFC fight. He defeated Pat Barry by TKO in the first round. This earned him his second "Knockout of the Night" bonus in a row.

Johnson then stepped in to fight Stefan Struve on short notice. He lost this fight by submission due to an armbar in the first round. This was at UFC 146.

Johnson was supposed to fight Brendan Schaub in December 2012. However, Johnson had a groin injury and couldn't fight. The fight was rescheduled for February 23, 2013, at UFC 157. Johnson lost this fight by a decision from the judges. After this, he was released from the UFC. His fighting license was temporarily stopped by the California State Athletic Commission due to a rule violation.

Competing in Bellator MMA

After leaving the UFC, Johnson joined Bellator MMA. His first fight was on October 4, 2013. He fought Vinicius Queiroz in a heavyweight tournament. Johnson was knocked out by one punch in just 23 seconds. This was the first time he had been knocked out in his career.

Johnson returned to Bellator in March 2014. He joined the Bellator Season Ten Heavyweight Tournament. He faced Ryan Martinez in the first round. Johnson won the fight by knockout in the first round. In the semifinals, Johnson fought Blagoy Ivanov. He lost this close fight by submission in the first round.

Johnson's last fight in Bellator was against Cheick Kongo. He lost this fight by a rear-naked choke submission in the first round. This was on September 5, 2014, at Bellator 123.

Bare-Knuckle Boxing Career

Valor Bare Knuckle Fights

On September 21, 2019, Lavar Johnson returned to professional fighting. This time, he competed in bare-knuckle boxing. He defeated James McSweeney by TKO in the first round. This fight was at Valor Bare Knuckle 1.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Matches

Johnson was scheduled to fight Rashad Coulter and then Bobby Brents in November 2024. Both opponents pulled out. Anthony Garrett replaced them. Johnson lost this fight by knockout in just 12 seconds.

Lavar Johnson's Family Life

Lavar Johnson has two sons.

Awards and Achievements

• War Gods MMA
  • War Gods Heavyweight Championship (One time)
• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Knockout Of The Night (Two times)

MMA Fight Record

Bare-Knuckle Boxing Record