Johnson: Gaethje is in for a rude awakening

UFC lightweight Michael Johnson appeared recently on Submission Radio ahead of his fight with Justin Gaethje at the TUF 25 Finale. Johnson was asked if he thought the division needed an interim title given MayGregor on August 26.

“As far as I’m concerned, that title got vacated when Conor signed to box Mayweather,” he said. “And my hats off to him, he’s gonna make a killing win or lose. I would have done the same thing. But I don’t see a champ in our division. You know, he made that switch right now, so who knows. We’ll see what happens in the next few months.

I hope I see him again. You know, I hope we see him in a cage again. He is great to watch, he’s great for the sport and I myself included, I would love to see him back.

The undefeated Gaethje was one of the greatest fighters outside the UFC, and will now have a stern welcome to the league.

“Justin is a guy that always brings the fights, he’s always in there, he’s always ready to fight and that’s what I like,” said Johnson. “I like guys that go in there and fight and that’s what I got. He’s always been one of the better lightweights in the world, so now it’s time for him to really test his skills.

“He did mention that he’s a D-1 All American, and I fought the best wrestlers in the world, I’ve fought numerous black belts. It’s not a wrestling match, it’s not a Jiu-Jitsu match. So we’re gonna go in there and we’re gonna fight. My training partners are great at what they do. You know, I fight great grapplers every day in the gym. So it’s just gonna be another wrestler on my resume that I have to fight.

“There’s no extra motivation in me being the first one to give him a loss, it’s just motivation to continue my journey in the UFC. A loss is not an option for me, it does nothing for me and it puts me in a very bad position. I need to go out here, I need to put on a dominant performance and I need a statement fight, and that’s what’s gonna happen July 7th.

“I think he’s gonna be a little shocked, but he’s been around the block. He’s got 17 fights, he’s fought guys that have fought all over the world and different organizations, he’s fought previous champs before. So he’s not gonna see anything that he hasn’t seen before. I’m definitely the fastest guy that he’s faced and I think I’m the most dangerous guy that he’s gonna face.

I see myself winning by knockout. I’m gonna play the game smart, just like I need to and I’m gonna take Justin out of his element. So he’s in for a rude awakening.

Michael Johnson fights Justin Gaethje in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale on July 7, 2017 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.