Demetrious Johnson fears he could be sidelined for a while.
Last night (Aug. 4), Johnson’s record-breaking Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title defense streak came to an end by the slimmest of margins. He dropped a split decision to Henry Cejudo in the co-main event of UFC 227. The bout had solid technical action from start to finish, but Cejudo’s ability to score takedowns sealed it for two of the three judges.
Demetrious Johnson Fears Two Injuries
While many are already calling for a trilogy bout, that may have to wait. During the UFC 227 post-fight press conference, “Mighty Mouse” revealed that he may have suffered two significant injuries during his bout with the newly crowned flyweight champion (via MMAFighting.com):
“I think I probably tore my right LCL and then my right foot might be broke. Losing happens. Every great champion loses. I’ve lost before when I fought Dom (Cruz), I lose in the gym, so I’m fine. I’m more upset about the injuries, but other than that, I’m okay.”
This is Johnson’s first loss since Oct. 2011. Following a draw against Ian McCall, Johnson went on a 13-fight winning streak. In the process, he broke Anderson Silva’s record for most successful UFC title defenses with 11.
UFC 227 also featured a bantamweight title rematch between T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt. The result was the same as their first encounter, only the finish occurred quicker. Dillashaw stopped Garbrandt in the opening frame via TKO. After the bout, Dillashaw declared that he is the best bantamweight in the history of mixed martial arts. You can catch highlights of the bout here.
The Los Angeles crowd heavily backed Cub Swanson, but Renato Moicano played spoiler. He earned a first-round submission victory over “Killer” Cub, who is now without a victory in his last three fights.
When Demetrious Johnson recovers, is a title shot a no brainer?
