Johnson: Is Benavidez trilogy fight going to sell?

The greatest pound for pound fighter in mixed martial arts, Demetrious Johnson, appeared recently on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, to discuss what’s next. After his win over Tim Elliott on Saturday, Johnson had successfully defended his title nine times, as many as the rest of the UFC put together. One more and ‘Mighty Mouse’ ties the record set by Anderson Silva.

The next fight is likely to be against Joseph Benavidez, who beat Henry Cejudo, also on Saturday night at the TUF 24 Finale. However, Johnson already defeated Benavidez twice, and questions how marketable a third fight is.

“I want to defend the title,” said Johnson, as transcribed by Adam Guillen Jr. for MMA Mania. “I am only 30 years old, and obviously it doesn’t matter who you fight. Conor McGregor went up and fought Eddie Alvarez in Eddie’s first title defense and that was a superfight. So, for me, I am more focused on making history and not these superfights. The money is coming and I am not going to worry about that.”

So who is next?

“It’s up to the UFC man, at the end of the day,” said Johnson. “It will be the third fight and is it going to sell? I don’t know if it will or not. But if that’s what UFC wants, that is fine. Out of all my title defenses, just completed number nine, I’ve never picked who I was going to fight. I’ve never cared who I was going to fight because at the end of the day, it makes no difference.”

Johnson also said he may have suffered a small LCL tear, and is scheduled to get an MRI later in the week.