Michael Johnson (fighter) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Michael Johnson |
|
|---|---|
Michael Johnson in 2018
|
|
| Born | Michael Julian Johnson June 4, 1986 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Nickname(s) | The Menace |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st) |
| Division | Lightweight (2008–2017, 2019–present) Featherweight (2018–2019) |
| Reach | 73 in (185 cm) |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Fighting out of | Lantana, Florida, U.S. |
| Team | Blackzilians (former) Sanford MMA |
| Rank | purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Gilbert Burns |
| Wrestling | NJCAA Wrestling |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 42 |
| Wins | 23 |
| By knockout | 10 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 11 |
| Losses | 19 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By submission | 9 |
| By decision | 7 |
Michael Julian Johnson (born June 4, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is known for his exciting fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Johnson mainly competes in the Lightweight division. He has been a professional MMA fighter since 2008. Before joining the UFC, he fought in smaller competitions. He later became famous on the TV show The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck, where he was the runner-up.
Contents
About Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 4, 1986. He grew up as the youngest of three children. Michael started fighting when he was 10 years old. This was after a sad family event. Fighting became a way for him to deal with his feelings. He later shared that it was his way of coping with a big loss.
Michael was a very athletic student. He played three different sports in high school at Marquette High School. He even got a full scholarship to play football at Central Methodist University. After one year, he moved to Meramec Community College. There, he became one of the best college wrestlers in the country.
Michael's Mixed Martial Arts Journey
Starting His Career
Before joining the UFC, Michael Johnson was a champion in other fighting leagues. He won the Midwest Fight League title in July 2008. He also became the Xtreme Cage Fighting Champion in October 2009.
On The Ultimate Fighter
Michael then joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship to be on the TV show The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck. He tried out for the show many times before finally being accepted. He was very determined to get on the show.
His first fight on the show was against Pablo Garza. Michael won this fight by a unanimous decision. This win allowed him to move into the fighter's house. During team selections, both coaches, St-Pierre and Koscheck, wanted Michael on their team. St-Pierre used a clever trick to make sure he could pick Michael.
Michael fought Aaron Wilkinson in his next match. After a tough fight, Michael won by a submission move called a rear-naked choke. He then faced Alex Caceres in the quarter-finals. Michael won that fight too, moving him into the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, he fought Nam Phan. It was a very close fight, but Michael won by a split decision. This sent him to the finals of the show.
Fighting in the UFC
Michael Johnson made his official UFC debut on December 4, 2010. This fight was the final match of The Ultimate Fighter 12 tournament. He fought Jonathan Brookins and lost by unanimous decision, becoming the runner-up.
Key UFC Fights
Michael continued to fight in the UFC. He had many exciting matches and showed his skills.
- In June 2011, he won against Edward Faaloloto by TKO in the first round.
- In October 2012, he won against Danny Castillo by knockout. This earned him the Knockout of the Night award.
- In August 2013, he won against Joe Lauzon by unanimous decision.
- In December 2013, he knocked out Gleison Tibau in the second round.
- In February 2015, he won against Edson Barboza by unanimous decision.
Tough Times and Big Wins
Michael faced some tough opponents and had a few losses. In December 2015, he fought Nate Diaz in an exciting match. Even though Michael lost, both fighters earned the Fight of the Night award.
In September 2016, Michael had a huge win against Dustin Poirier. He knocked Poirier out early in the first round. This impressive win earned him his first Performance of the Night bonus.
In July 2017, he fought Justin Gaethje in a very memorable match. It was a thrilling fight that earned both fighters the Fight of the Night award. Many people called it the "Fight of the Year" for 2017.
Michael also moved to the Featherweight division for a short time. He won against Andre Fili and Artem Lobov in 2018.
Recent Fights
After some challenging fights, Michael showed his fighting spirit. In May 2022, he won against Alan Patrick by knockout. This ended a losing streak and showed his power. In July 2022, he fought Jamie Mullarkey in another close fight that earned him a Fight of the Night bonus. In December 2022, he won against Marc Diakiese by unanimous decision.
In February 2024, Michael won against Darrius Flowers by unanimous decision. He showed strong ground control in that fight. In December 2024, he won against Ottman Azaitar by knockout in the second round. This win earned him another Performance of the Night award.
Michael's Life Outside the Ring
Michael Johnson used to train at Springfield Fight Club. This club is connected to Gracie Barra, a famous Brazilian jiu-jitsu school. He also worked there as an assistant coach for mixed martial arts.
Achievements and Awards
Michael Johnson has earned many awards and honors throughout his career:
Mixed Martial Arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Fight of the Night (Three times) – for his fights against Nate Diaz, Justin Gaethje, and Jamie Mullarkey
- Knockout of the Night (One time) – for his knockout of Danny Castillo
- Performance of the Night (Two times) – for his wins against Dustin Poirier and Ottman Azaitar
- He has fought the fifth most times in UFC Lightweight division history (26 bouts).
- He has spent the fifth most total time fighting in the UFC Lightweight division (4 hours, 53 minutes, 27 seconds).
- He has the second most knockdowns in UFC Lightweight division history (11 knockdowns).
- He has landed the fifth most significant strikes in UFC Lightweight division history (1228 strikes).
- UFC.com Awards
- 2013: Ranked #6 Upset of the Year – for his win against Joe Lauzon
- 2017: Fight of the Year – for his fight against Justin Gaethje
- Xtreme Cage Fighting
- XCF Lightweight Champion (One time)
- Midwest Fight League
- MFL Lightweight Champion (One time)
- Sherdog
- 2017 Fight of the Year – for his fight against Justin Gaethje
- 2017 Round of the Year (Round 2) – for his fight against Justin Gaethje
- Bleacher Report
- 2017 Fight of the Year – for his fight against Justin Gaethje
- CBS Sports
- 2017 Fight of the Year – for his fight against Justin Gaethje
- MMAjunkie.com
- 2017 Round of the Year (Round one) – for his fight against Justin Gaethje
- Bloody Elbow
- 2017 Best Fight of the Year – for his fight against Justin Gaethje
- Cageside Press
- 2017 Fight of the Year – for his fight against Justin Gaethje
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 42 matches | 23 wins | 19 losses |
| By knockout | 10 | 3 |
| By submission | 2 | 9 |
| By decision | 11 | 7 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 23–19 | Ottman Azaitar | KO (punch) | UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Buckley | December 14, 2024 | 2 | 2:03 | Tampa, Florida, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 22–19 | Darrius Flowers | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Pyfer | February 10, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 21–19 | Carlos Diego Ferreira | KO (punch) | UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill | May 20, 2023 | 2 | 1:50 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 21–18 | Marc Diakiese | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Thompson vs. Holland | December 3, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Orlando, Florida, United States | |
| Loss | 20–18 | Jamie Mullarkey | Decision (split) | UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Fiziev | July 9, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 20–17 | Alan Patrick | KO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Błachowicz vs. Rakić | May 14, 2022 | 2 | 3:22 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 19–17 | Clay Guida | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov | February 6, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 19–16 | Thiago Moisés | Submission (achilles lock) | UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira | May 13, 2020 | 2 | 0:25 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | |
| Loss | 19–15 | Stevie Ray | Decision (majority) | UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren | October 26, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Kallang, Singapore | Return to Lightweight. |
| Loss | 19–14 | Josh Emmett | KO (punch) | UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje | March 30, 2019 | 3 | 4:14 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Win | 19–13 | Artem Lobov | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith | October 27, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada | Catchweight (147 lb) bout; Johnson missed weight. |
| Win | 18–13 | Andre Fili | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick | August 25, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Lincoln, Nebraska, United States | |
| Loss | 17–13 | Darren Elkins | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi | January 14, 2018 | 2 | 2:22 | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | Featherweight debut. |
| Loss | 17–12 | Justin Gaethje | TKO (punches and knees) | The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale | July 7, 2017 | 2 | 4:48 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. Fight of the Year (2017). |
| Loss | 17–11 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | Submission (kimura) | UFC 205 | November 12, 2016 | 3 | 2:31 | New York City, New York, United States | |
| Win | 17–10 | Dustin Poirier | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson | September 17, 2016 | 1 | 1:35 | Hidalgo, Texas, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 16–10 | Nate Diaz | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 2 | December 19, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Orlando, Florida, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Loss | 16–9 | Beneil Dariush | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux | August 8, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | |
| Win | 16–8 | Edson Barboza | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir | February 22, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Porto Alegre, Brazil | |
| Win | 15–8 | Melvin Guillard | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa | March 8, 2014 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Win | 14–8 | Gleison Tibau | KO (punches) | UFC 168 | December 28, 2013 | 2 | 1:32 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 13–8 | Joe Lauzon | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen | August 17, 2013 | 3 | 5:00 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | |
| Loss | 12–8 | Reza Madadi | Submission (D'Arce choke) | UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi | April 6, 2013 | 3 | 1:33 | Stockholm, Sweden | |
| Loss | 12–7 | Myles Jury | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 155 | December 29, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 12–6 | Danny Castillo | KO (punches) | UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot | October 5, 2012 | 2 | 1:06 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | Knockout of the Night. |
| Win | 11–6 | Tony Ferguson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller | May 5, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 10–6 | Shane Roller | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis | January 28, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |
| Loss | 9–6 | Paul Sass | Submission (heel hook) | UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson | October 1, 2011 | 1 | 3:00 | Washington, D.C., United States | |
| Win | 9–5 | Edward Faaloloto | TKO (punches) | UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry | June 26, 2011 | 1 | 4:42 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Loss | 8–5 | Jonathan Brookins | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck Finale | December 4, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | The Ultimate Fighter 12 Lightweight Tournament Final. |
| Win | 8–4 | Chris McDaniel | TKO (punches) | FM: Productions | January 30, 2010 | 1 | 4:34 | Springfield, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 7–4 | Ramiro Hernandez | Decision (unanimous) | Titan Fighting Championship 15 | December 18, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | Catchweight (150 lb) bout. |
| Win | 6–4 | Aaron Derrow | TKO (punches) | Xtreme Cage Fighter 10 | October 3, 2009 | 1 | 0:43 | Springfield, Missouri, United States | Won the XCF Lightweight Championship. |
| Loss | 5–4 | Eric Marriott | Submission (heel hook) | FM: Productions | May 9, 2009 | 2 | 1:32 | Springfield, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 5–3 | Clay French | Submission (kimura) | Fuel Fight Club | April 10, 2009 | 1 | 3:16 | Lake Ozark, Missouri, United States | |
| Loss | 4–3 | Joe Brammer | Submission (guillotine choke) | Midwest Cage Championships 19 | March 14, 2009 | 4 | 3:45 | Des Moines, Iowa, United States | |
| Loss | 4–2 | James Krause | Submission (triangle choke) | FM: Productions | November 22, 2008 | 1 | 2:55 | Springfield, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 4–1 | Warren Stewart | TKO (punches) | FM: Productions | September 13, 2008 | 1 | 2:37 | Springfield, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 3–1 | Lucas Gwaltney | Decision (majority) | Midwest Fight League | July 25, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Columbia, Missouri, United States | Won the MFL Lightweight Championship |
| Loss | 2–1 | Ted Worthington | Submission (triangle choke) | Midwest Cage Championships 13 | April 25, 2008 | 3 | 1:29 | Urbandale, Iowa, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Steve Schneider | Submission (choke) | FM: Productions | April 18, 2008 | 1 | 2:12 | Springfield, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Chauncey Prather | TKO (punches) | FM: Productions | February 1, 2008 | 1 | 1:12 | Springfield, Missouri, United States |
Mixed martial arts exhibition record
| Exhibition record breakdown | ||
| 4 matches | 4 wins | 0 losses |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 3 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 4–0 | Nam Phan | Decision (split) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck | December 1, 2010 (airdate) | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | The Ultimate Fighter 12 Semi-finals. |
| Win | 3–0 | Alex Caceres | Decision (unanimous) | November 17, 2010 (airdate) | 2 | 5:00 | The Ultimate Fighter 12 Quarter-finals. | ||
| Win | 2–0 | Aaron Wilkinson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | September 29, 2010 (airdate) | 3 | 0:39 | The Ultimate Fighter 12 Preliminary bout. | ||
| Win | 1–0 | Pablo Garza | Decision (unanimous) | September 15, 2010 (airdate) | 2 | 5:00 | The Ultimate Fighter 12 TUF house entry bout. |
See also
In Spanish: Michael Johnson (peleador) para niños
- List of current UFC fighters
- List of male mixed martial artists
