UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson has often been criticized for being a bit of a “dull” interview outside the cage, but he made up for it Saturday night. After tying Anderson Silva’s title defense record with an arm-bar submission over Wilson Reis at UFC on Fox 24 in Kansas City, “Mighty Mouse” was asked who he’d like to defend his championship against for the eleventh defense. Since the question came with no qualifications, Johnson answered with someone not even currently on the UFC roster: Chael Sonnen. Though he later expanded his answer to include none other than UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.
It would be Chael Sonnen, because he would sell the hell out of the Pay Per View. You said pick a name, and I did. There you go. Or Conor McGregor.
Johnson was obviously having a little fun with the press, but he does have a point. Contenders in the UFC flyweight division have been traditionally dry, and Johnson himself isn’t the type to trash talk. Just as Anderson Silva saw a huge boost when paired off with Sonnen, Johnson needs a marketable foil of his own. Though for the right money, he’s not afraid to take a beating from a much larger foe.
Nowadays, everybody’s talking about big money fights, right? Big money fights. If I truly… I am not afraid of one man on this whole UFC roster. What’s the worst that’s going to happen? I lose, I get knocked out? A lot of people are coming “aww fight him, he’s scared” – dude, I’ll f***ing fight Conor McGregor for the biggest payday of my life. If I got knocked out, perfect. Thanks Conor, you weigh 170lbs, but guess what, I’m going to be laughing all the way to the bank. So when people try to call me out like “aww you’re scared of this,” no dude, come down to 125lbs and we can fight. But if you ask me who would I like to fight, and I know I’m going to make the most money, I’ll fight Conor McGregor.
Of course, McGregor has his eyes fixed elsewhere – on a marquee boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. In the meantime, one potential superfight for Johnson’s next title defense could be against Cody Garbrandt, if the UFC were keen on it, and if Garbrandt could make the weight.
