Michael Johnson (fighter)

Background

Johnson was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 4, 1986. He was raised as the youngest of three siblings. Johnson began fighting at the age of 10, after his father's fatal heart attack. The incident made Johnson want to exert his anger physically. Johnson later said, "I lost something, a huge part of me....Fighting was my way of not dealing with my dad's passing. Now that I think of it, of course, it was the wrong thing to do, especially putting all that burden on my mom having to deal with it." Athletic, Johnson was a three-sport varsity athlete at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, Missouri. Johnson later received a full scholarship to play football at Central Methodist University, but transferred after one year to Meramec Community College, where he was one of the top NJCAA wrestlers in the country.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Johnson is a former Midwest Fight League and Xtreme Cage Fighting Champion who won those titles in July 2008 and October 2009, respectively. Johnson trained at Springfield Fight Club, which is an affiliate of Gracie Barra based in Springfield, Missouri. Johnson also worked there as the assistant mixed martial arts coach.

''The Ultimate Fighter''

Johnson then signed onto the Ultimate Fighting Championship circuit to appear on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck.

Johnson's entry into the show was, in part, due to his persistence in attending tryouts for the show. After making the final interview round of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir, Johnson was told that he wasn't the right fit for the show. Johnson then tried out for the ninth season of the show, before finally becoming accepted onto the twelfth season after telling the producers, "I've been getting tired of chasing you [expletive] around the country. I'm here; I'm not going to go anywhere. If you guys don't pick me, I'm going to try out again." Finally, Johnson was signed.

Johnson's first fight took place on the debut episode of the season, where he faced unbeaten Pablo Garza. Johnson scored a unanimous decision victory, which moved him into the house.

In the second episode, both St-Pierre and Koscheck had Johnson at the top of their lists when it came time to select fighters. During the team selection process, however, St-Pierre created a fake list that did not have Johnson among his top selections and subtly showed it to Koscheck to fool him into believing it. This seemed to manipulate Koscheck into picking Marc Stevens, as he may have believed he could take Johnson later. This allowed St-Pierre to choose Johnson with the second overall pick.

Johnson competed in his preliminary round matchup against Aaron Wilkinson in the third episode. After some early striking exchanges in the first round, Wilkinson was able to take Johnson down and utilize ground-and-pound punches and elbows. In the second round, Johnson landed an early superman punch, as well as a takedown. After takedowns were achieved by both men, Johnson stuffed a final attempt and took the second round on the judges' scorecards. In the sudden victory round, Johnson attacked quickly, which allowed him to end the fight via a rear-naked choke.

In episode 8, Team GSP had to pick which team members would fight each other (considering they had 5 members in the quarter-finals). St. Pierre asked each member to pick the fighter they wanted to fight. Johnson and Alex Caceres picked each other and a fight was scheduled. Johnson won by unanimous decision after two rounds, earning himself a spot in the semi-finals.

In the final round, Johnson faced the one remaining Team Koscheck member, Nam Phan. In a back-and-forth fight, Johnson scored takedowns. The consensus after the fight was that Johnson won the opening round, and Phan the second. The third was in dispute, however, with each fighter's coach convinced they had won the round. Johnson was declared the winner via split decision.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2010

Johnson made his UFC debut in The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck Finale against Jonathan Brookins, on December 14, 2010. That fight determined the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 12. After an impressive first round, Johnson lost rounds two and three — and subsequently the fight — via unanimous decision, leaving him the runner-up.

2011

Johnson was looking to take a fight outside of the UFC before returning to the promotion. The fight was to headline the North American Fighting Championship card against Jim Bleau. However, after obtaining a UFC fight, Johnson pulled out of the NAFC bout to focus his training on the UFC bout. Johnson faced Edward Faaloloto on June 26, 2011, at UFC on Versus 4 and won the fight via TKO in the first round.

Johnson faced Paul Sass on October 1, 2011, at UFC on Versus 6. He lost the fight via submission in the first round.

2012

Johnson was expected to face Cody McKenzie on January 28, 2012, at UFC on Fox 2. However, McKenzie was forced out of the bout, with an injury, and he was replaced by Shane Roller. Johnson defeated Roller by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 29–28.

Johnson faced Tony Ferguson on May 5, 2012, at UFC on Fox 3, replacing an injured Thiago Tavares. Johnson won the fight via unanimous decision.

Johnson was expected to face Danny Castillo on September 1, 2012, at UFC 151. However, after UFC 151 was cancelled, Johnson/Castillo was rescheduled and took place on October 5, 2012, at UFC on FX 5. After almost being finished in the first round, Johnson survived and came back to win via KO at 1:06 into the second round. Johnson was awarded Knockout of the Night honors for his performance.

Johnson fought Myles Jury on December 29, 2012, at UFC 155. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

2013

Johnson faced Reza Madadi on April 6, 2013, at UFC on Fuel TV 9. Despite almost finishing Madadi with a head kick in the first round, Johnson eventually succumbed to the wrestling of Madadi and lost the fight via submission in the third round.

Johnson faced Joe Lauzon on August 17, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 26. He won the fight via unanimous decision, after outstriking Lauzon for all three rounds.

Johnson faced Gleison Tibau on December 28, 2013, at UFC 168. He won the fight by knockout in the second round.

2014

Due to an injury to Ross Pearson, Johnson stepped in to face Melvin Guillard at UFC Fight Night 37. Johnson won the fight via unanimous decision.

Johnson was expected to face Josh Thomson on July 26, 2014, at UFC on Fox 12. However, on July 11, the UFC announced, that Johnson had been pulled from the bout. It was later revealed that Johnson had been pulled from the bout and would not compete for the remainder of 2014 following his arrest in Palm Beach County, Florida, in April of that year.

2015

Johnson faced Edson Barboza on February 22, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 61. He won the bout by unanimous decision.

A bout with Benson Henderson was initially linked as the event headliner for The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale on July 12, 2015. Although never officially announced by the UFC, the bout between Henderson and Johnson will not take place at this event.

Johnson faced Beneil Dariush on August 8, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 73. Johnson lost the fight via controversial split decision. Every mainstream MMA media outlet polled by MMA Decisions scored the fight as decision victory for Johnson.

Johnson faced Nate Diaz on December 19, 2015, at UFC on Fox 17. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Both participants were awarded Fight of the Night honors.

2016

A rematch with Tony Ferguson was expected to take place on March 5, 2016, at UFC 196. However, on January 27, it was announced, that Johnson withdrew from the bout, due to an injury.

Johnson faced Dustin Poirier on September 17, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 94. Johnson won the fight via knockout early in the first round with a sharp two-punch combination followed by ground and pound. This win earned Johnson his first Performance of the Night bonus award.

Johnson next faced Khabib Nurmagomedov on November 12, 2016, at UFC 205. He lost the fight via submission in the third round.

2017

Johnson faced former World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje on July 7, 2017, in the main event at The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale. Rocking Gaethje twice with punches, Johnson was not able to capitalize and lost the fight via TKO, with a combination of punches and knees in the second round. The fight earned Johnson his second Fight of the Night bonus award.

2018

Johnson faced Darren Elkins in a featherweight bout on January 14, 2018, at UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi. He lost the fight via submission in the second round.

Johnson faced Andre Fili on August 25, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 135. He won the fight via split decision.

Johnson faced Artem Lobov on October 27, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 138. At weigh-ins, Johnson weighed in at 147 pounds, one pounds over the featherweight limit of 146 pounds. As a result, the fight proceeded at a catchweight bout and Johnson was to forfeit 20% of his purse to Lobov, however, Lobov refused to take the money. Johnson defeated Lobov by unanimous decision.

Consecutive losses

Johnson faced Josh Emmett on March 30, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 2. Despite being up on the judges scorecards, Johnson lost the fight via knockout, late in the third round.

Johnson faced Stevie Ray at UFC on ESPN+ 20 on October 26, 2019. He lost the fight via majority decision.

Johnson was scheduled to face Evan Dunham on April 25, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic event, Johnson was rescheduled to face Khama Worthy at UFC 249. In turn, the bout was postponed to a future date. However, the event was cancelled. However, on April 9, Dana White, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed to a future date. Instead, Johnson faced Thiago Moisés on May 13, 2020, at UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira. After outstriking Moisés in the first round, Johnson lost the fight via submission, less than thirty seconds into the second round.

Johnson faced Clay Guida on February 6, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 184. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Return to victory

Johnson was scheduled to face Alan Patrick on May 7, 2022, at UFC 274. However, the bout was pushed back, one week to UFC on ESPN: Błachowicz vs. Rakić, for unknown reasons. Johnson won the fight via knockout in the second round, snapping his three year long losing streak and getting his first knockout victory since 2016 in the process.

Johnson faced Jamie Mullarkey on July 9, 2022, at UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Fiziev. He lost the fight via controversial split decision. 15 out of 19 media outlets scored the fight in favor of Johnson. The bout earned Johnson his third Fight of the Night bonus award.

Johnson faced Marc Diakiese on December 3, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 42. He won the bout via unanimous decision.

Johnson faced Carlos Diego Ferreira on May 20, 2023 at UFC Fight Night 223. He lost the fight via knockout in the second round.

Johnson faced Darrius Flowers on February 10, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 236. He dominated most of the bout on the ground and won by unanimous decision.

Johnson faced Ottman Azaitar on December 14, 2024, at UFC on ESPN 63.{{Cite web |last=Iskenderov |first=Parviz |date=2024-10-30 |title=Michael Johnson vs Ottman Azaitar among bouts confirmed for UFC Tampa fight card

Johnson faced Daniel Zellhuber on July 19, 2025 at UFC 318. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Johnson was scheduled to face Alexander Hernandez on January 24, 2026 at UFC 324. However, the fight was cancelled on the day of the event, with the promotion giving no official reason. The cancellation followed notable betting‑line movement on the matchup, and it was reported that some observers speculated Hernandez may have been dealing with an injury, although this was not confirmed by the UFC. UFC CEO and president Dana White later confirmed that the fight had been pulled from the card due to betting concerns.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Nate Diaz, Justin Gaethje and Jamie Mullarkey
  • Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Danny Castillo
  • Performance of the Night (Two times) vs. Dustin Poirier and Ottman Azaitar
  • Tied (Joe Lauzon & Gleison Tibau) for third most bouts in UFC Lightweight division history (27)
  • Fourth most total time in UFC Lightweight division history (5:08:27)
  • Tied (Melvin Guillard) for most knockdowns in UFC Lightweight division history (13)
  • Third most significant strikes landed in UFC Lightweight division history (1308)
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2013: Ranked #6 Upset of the Year vs. Joe Lauzon
    • 2017: Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje
• Xtreme Cage Fighting
  • XCF Lightweight Championship (One time)
• Midwest Fight League
  • MFL Lightweight Championship (One time)
• Sherdog
  • 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje
  • 2017 Round of the Year (Round 2) vs. Justin Gaethje
• Sports Illustrated
  • 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje at The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale
• Bleacher Report
  • 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje
• Yahoo Sports
  • 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje at The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale
• CBS Sports
  • 2017 UFC Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje
• MMA Fighting
  • 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje at The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale
• MMA Junkie
  • 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje at The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale
  • 2017 Round of the Year (Round 1) vs. Justin Gaethje
• Bloody Elbow
  • 2017 Best Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje
• Cageside Press
  • 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje
• Combat Press
  • 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje at The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale
• MMA Weekly
  • 2017 Fight of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje at The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale

Mixed martial arts record

| ko-wins= 10 | sub-wins= 2 | dec-wins= 12 | ko-losses= 3 | sub-losses= 9 | dec-losses= 7 | dq-wins= | dq-losses= | other-wins= | other-losses= | |Alexander Hernandez | |UFC 324 |

| |New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | |- |Win |Ottman Azaitar |KO (punch) |UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Buckley | |Tampa, Florida, United States

| |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Loss |Carlos Diego Ferreira |KO (punch) |UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill | |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Win |Marc Diakiese |Decision (unanimous) |UFC on ESPN: Thompson vs. Holland | |Orlando, Florida, United States | |- |Loss |Jamie Mullarkey |Decision (split) |UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Fiziev | |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

| |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Loss |Clay Guida |Decision (unanimous) |UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov | |Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- |Loss |Thiago Moisés |Submission (achilles lock) |UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira | |Jacksonville, Florida, United States | |- |Loss |Stevie Ray |Decision (majority) |UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren | |Kallang, Singapore

| |Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | |- |Win |Artem Lobov |Decision (unanimous) |UFC Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith | |Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

| |Lincoln, Nebraska, United States | |- |Loss |Darren Elkins |Submission (rear-naked choke) |UFC Fight Night: Stephens vs. Choi | |St. Louis, Missouri, United States

| | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

| | New York City, New York, United States | |- | Win | Dustin Poirier | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Johnson | | Hidalgo, Texas, United States

| | Orlando, Florida, United States

| | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | |- | Win | Edson Barboza | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir | | Porto Alegre, Brazil | |- | Win | Melvin Guillard | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa | | London, England | |- | Win | Gleison Tibau | KO (punches) | UFC 168 | | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- | Win | Joe Lauzon | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen | | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | |- | Loss | Reza Madadi | Submission (brabo choke) | UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi | | Stockholm, Sweden | |- | Loss | Myles Jury | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 155 | | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |- | Win | Danny Castillo | KO (punches) | UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot | | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

| | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | |- | Win | Shane Roller | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis | | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |- | Loss | Paul Sass | Submission (heel hook) | UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson | | Washington, D.C., United States | |- | Win | Edward Faaloloto | TKO (punches) | UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry | | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | |- | Loss | Jonathan Brookins | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck Finale | | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

| | Springfield, Missouri, United States | |- | Win | Ramiro Hernandez | Decision (unanimous) | Titan FC 15 | | Kansas City, Kansas, United States

| | Springfield, Missouri, United States

| | Springfield, Missouri, United States | |- | Win | Clay French | Submission (kimura) | Fuel Fight Club | | Lake Ozark, Missouri, United States | |- | Loss | Joe Brammer | Submission (guillotine choke) | Midwest Cage Championship 19 | | Des Moines, Iowa, United States | |- | Loss | James Krause | Submission (triangle choke) | FM Productions 4 | | Springfield, Missouri, United States | |- | Win | Warren Stewart | TKO (punches) | FM Productions 3 | | Springfield, Missouri, United States | |- | Win | Lucas Gwaltney | Decision (majority) | Midwest Fight League: Battle at the Blue Note 9 | | Columbia, Missouri, United States

| | Urbandale, Iowa, United States | |- | Win | Steve Schneider | Submission (rear naked-choke) | FM Productions 2 | | Springfield, Missouri, United States | |- | Win | Chauncey Prather | TKO (punches) | FM Productions 1 | | Springfield, Missouri, United States |

Mixed martial arts exhibition record

| ko-wins= | ko-losses= | sub-wins= 1 | sub-losses= | dec-wins= 3 | dec-losses= | dq-wins= | dq-losses= | other-wins= | other-losses= | Win | Nam Phan | Decision (split) | (airdate)

References

References

1. "Stats | UFC".
2. "Facebook".
3. "Michael "The Menace" Johnson Official Site - Bio".
4. "Michael Johnson ("The Menace") {{!}} MMA Fighter Page".
5. (September 22, 2010). "Meet the Ultimate Fighter 12 cast: Michael Johnson, a producer's worst nightmare". mmajunkie.com.
6. "UFC Michael Johnson".
7. (July 27, 2010). "TUF 12: Michael Johnson confirmed as a member of the lightweight tournament". mmabay.co.uk.
8. (August 3, 2010). "Spike TV unveils TUF 12 cast". sherdog.com.
9. (August 3, 2010). "Meet the cast for "The Ultimate Fighter 12," field includes 28 lightweights". mmajunkie.com.
10. (September 16, 2010). "Episode no.1 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck"". mmajunkie.com.
11. (September 22, 2010). "Episode No. 2 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck"". mmajunkie.com.
12. (September 29, 2010). "Episode No. 3 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck"". mmajunkie.com.
13. (November 4, 2010). "Episode No. 8 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck"". mmajunkie.com.
14. (December 1, 2010). "Michael Johnson and Jonathan Brookins fight for TUF 12 crown on Saturday". mmajunkie.com.
15. (December 1, 2010). "Episode No. 11 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck"". mmajunkie.com.
16. (December 5, 2010). "The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale recap: Brookins earns impressive comeback win". mmajunkie.com.
17. (17 July 2024). "Home".
18. (April 11, 2010). "Michael Johnson vs. Edward Faaloloto slated for UFC on Versus 4". mmajunkie.com.
19. Furness, Jay. (July 21, 2011). "Paul Sass To Return At UFC On Versus 6; Johnson Likely Adversary". yourmma.tv.com.
20. (January 4, 2012). "Injured McKenzie out at UFC on FOX 2; Roller steps in to face Johnson". mmajunkie.com.
21. (March 29, 2012). "Thiago Tavares out, Tony Ferguson now meets Michael Johnson on UFC on FOX 3". mmajunkie.com.
22. Staff. (2012-05-12). "UFC on FOX 3 results: Michael Johnson outstrikes Tony Ferguson, earns decision win".
23. (June 21, 2012). "Danny Castillo vs Michael Johnson booked for UFC 151 on Sept. 1 in Las Vegas". mmamanania.com.
24. (August 23, 2012). "Castillo-Johnson shifts from UFC 151 to UFC on FX 5". mmajunkie.com.
25. Geno Mrosko. (2012-10-06). "Video: UFC on FX 5 'Knockout of the Night' highlight featuring Michael Johnson destroying Danny Castillo". mmamania.com.
26. (October 24, 2012). "Lightweight bout between Michael Johnson, Myles Jury headed to UFC 155". mmajunkie.com.
27. (February 8, 2013). "Michael Johnson vs. Reza Madadi set for UFC on FUEL TV 9". mmajunkie.com.
28. Staff. (2013-05-13). "Joe Lauzon meets Michael Johnson at UFC on FOX Sports 1 1 in Boston". MMAJunkie.com.
29. (September 18, 2013). "Michael Johnson vs. Gleison Tibau lightweight bout set for UFC 168 in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.com.
30. (January 23, 2014). "earson Out Of UFC London, Guillard Gets Replacement". YourMMA.tv.
31. Mike Chiapetta. (2014-05-09). "Josh Thomson vs. Michael Johnson set for FOX UFC Saturday on July 26". msn.foxsports.com.
32. Henderson, Jason. (10 May 2014). "Josh Thomson Vs Michael Johnson Goes Down At UFC On FOX 12". Fight of the Night.
33. John Morgan. (2014-07-11). "Johnson out at UFC on FOX 12, promotion seeks new opponent for Thomson". mmajunkie.com.
34. Staff. (2014-12-29). "UFC reveals 'domestic dispute' to blame for Michael Johnson's extended layoff". mmajunkie.com.
35. Shaun Al-Shatti. (2014-12-28). "Edson Barboza vs. Michael Johnson slated for UFC Fight Night 61". mmafighting.com.
36. Mookie Alexander. (2015-02-22). "UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir results - Michael Johnson too much for Edson Barboza to handle". bloodyelbow.com.
37. Staff. (2015-04-20). "Benson Henderson vs. Michael Johnson targeted for TUF 21 Finale on July 12". mmajunkie.com.
38. Ariel Helwani. (2015-05-15). "Benson Henderson vs. Michael Johnson off TUF 21 Finale card". mmafighting.com.
39. Staff. (2015-06-05). "Michael Johnson vs. Beneil Dariush slated for UFC Fight Night 74 in Nashville". mmajunkie.com.
40. Ben Fowlkes. (2015-08-09). "UFC Fight Night 73 results: Beneil Dariush tops Michael Johnson by split decision". mmajunkie.com.
41. (August 9, 2015). "UFC Fight Night 73: The Controversy Between Michael Johnson and Beneil Dariush". Bleacher Report.
42. (August 9, 2015). "Highlights! Controversial Michael Johnson vs. Beneil Dariush co-main event from UFC Fight Night 73". MMAMania.com.
43. Staff. (2015-08-08). "Michael Johnson vs. Beneil Dariush". mmadecisions.com.
44. Damon Martin. (2015-08-24). "Michael Johnson meets Nate Diaz at FOX UFC Fight Night in Orlando". foxsports.com.
45. John Morgan. (2015-12-19). "UFC on FOX 17 results: Nate Diaz outstrikes Michael Johnson en route to impressive win". mmajunkie.com.
46. Staff. (2015-12-19). "UFC on FOX 17 bonuses: Nate Diaz, Michael Johnson cash in for entertaining scrap". mmajunkie.com.
47. Staff. (2016-01-21). "Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson rematch added to UFC 197". mmajunkie.com.
48. Hunter A. Homistek. (2016-01-26). "Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson targeted for April UFC on Fox event". mmafighting.com.
49. Mike Henken. (2016-07-18). "Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Johnson set to headline UFC Hidalgo". lowkickmma.com.
50. "UFC Fight Night 94 results: Michael Johnson knocks out Dustin Poirier, talks crap over his fallen body".
51. Brian Mazique. (2016-09-18). "UFC Fight Night 94 Results: Winners, Bonuses And Highlights From Poirier Vs. Johnson Card". forbes.com.
52. Tristen Critchfield. (2016-09-27). "Lightweights Khabib Nurmagomedov, Michael Johnson confirmed for UFC 205 lineup".
53. Steven Marrocco. (2016-11-12). "UFC 205 results: Khabib Nurmagomedov taps out Michael Johnson, calls for title shot". mmajunkie.com.
54. Dan Hiergesell. (2017-05-12). "Michael Johnson vs. Justin Gaethje set to headline TUF 25 Finale on July 7 in Las Vegas". mmamania.com.
55. (2017-07-08). "TUF 25 Finale results: Michael Johnson TKOs Justin Gaethje in memorable UFC debut". MMAjunkie.
56. (2017-07-08). "TUF 25 Finale bonuses: Justin Gaethje's sick, sick debut was a double winner for $100,000". MMAjunkie.
57. Tristen Critchfield. (2017-11-09). "Michael Johnson drops to featherweight, meets Darren Elkins at UFC Fight Night 124". sherdog.com.
58. Quiles, Fernando Jr.. (2018-01-14). "Darren Elkins Shocks Michael Johnson In St. Louis". LowKickMMA.com.
59. Mike Bohn. (2018-06-28). "Andre Fili vs. Michael Johnson added to UFC Lincoln in August". mmajunkie.com.
60. (2018-08-26). "UFC Fight Night 135 results: Michael Johnson takes split from Andre Fili". MMAjunkie.
61. Nathan Zur. (2018-10-15). "Artem Lobov to face Michael Johnson at UFC Moncton". sherdog.com.
62. (2018-10-26). "Michael Johnson misses weight, but UFC Moncton fight vs. Artem Lobov still on". MMAjunkie.
63. (2018-10-28). "UFC Fight Night 138 results: Michael Johnson picks apart Artem Lovbov, wins unanimous decision". MMAjunkie.
64. Marcel Dorff. (2019-02-26). "Josh Emmett returns against Michael Johnson at UFC Philadelphia". mmadna.nl.
65. (2019-03-31). "UFC Philadelphia: Josh Emmett KOs Michael Johnson with 46 seconds left on clock".
66. (2019-03-31). "UFC on ESPN 2: Official scorecard photos from Philadelphia".
67. (2019-08-25). "Michael Johnson vs. Stevie Ray, Maurce Greene vs. Sergei Pavlovich Among UFC Singapore Additions". cagesidepress.com.
68. Harshman, Heath. (2019-10-26). "UFC Singapore Results: Stevie Ray Finishes Strong for Decision Win Over Michael Johnson".
69. Alexander K. Lee. (2020-01-24). "Anthony Smith to fight Glover Teixeira in UFC Lincoln main event, four other fights added". mmafighting.
70. (8 April 2020). "Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje to headline UFC 249 fight card from undisclosed location".
71. (2020-04-09). "UFC 249 off for April 18; all other events ppd.".
72. O2, The. "Cancelled {{!}} UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Woodley vs. Edwards {{!}} The O2".
73. Brett Okamoto. (2020-04-09). "Dana White says UFC 249 will not happen April 18". espn.com.
74. (2020-05-01). "Dana White announces full list of UFC matchups for May 13, May 16 events in Florida".
75. (May 14, 2020). "UFC Jacksonville Results: Smith vs. Teixeira". mmafighting.com.
76. Mike Bohn. (2020-11-29). "Lightweight veterans Clay Guida, Michael Johnson clash at Super Bowl weekend UFC Fight Night". mmajunkie.usatoday.com.
77. Doherty, Dan. (2021-02-06). "UFC Vegas 18 Results: Clay Guida's Aggression Overwhelms Michael Johnson".
78. ATSteveDuncan. (2022-02-25). "Alan Patrick vs Michael Johnson agregado a UFC 274".
79. Michał Tkaczuk. (2022-04-25). "Michael Johnson otrzyma kolejną szansę w oktagonie UFC". mmarocks.pl.
80. (2022-05-15). "UFC on ESPN 36 video: Michael Johnson ends four-fight skid with brutal KO of Alan Patrick".
81. Law, Eddie. (2022-05-14). "UFC Vegas 54: Michael Johnson Scores Big Time KO, Snaps Four Fight Skid".
82. (2022-06-17). "Michael Johnson vs. Jamie Mullarkey Tapped for UFC Vegas 58".
83. Law, Eddie. (2022-07-09). "UFC Vegas 58: Jamie Mullarkey Takes Split Decision Over Johnson In Wild Fight".
84. "JamieMullarkeydef. MichaelJohnson :: UFC on ESPN 39 :: MMA Decisions".
85. Ryan Harkness. (2022-07-10). "UFC Vegas 58 bonuses: Michael Johnson and Jamie Mullarkey earn $50k each for Fight of the Night war". mmamania.com.
86. Jay Anderson. (2022-08-23). "Michael Johnson vs. Marc Diakiese Booked for UFC's December 3 Event". Cageside Press.
87. (3 December 2022). "UFC Orlando: Michael Johnson Defeats Marc Diakiese By Unanimous Decision".
88. Anderson, Jay. (2023-04-04). "UFC: Michael Johnson vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira Booked for May 20".
89. Rush, Dylan. (2023-05-20). "UFC Vegas 73: Carlos Diego Ferreira Stops Michael Johnson with Thunderous KO".
90. Desk, ITN News. (2023-11-18). "Michael Johnson vs Darrius Flowers Reported for UFC February 10 Event".
91. Dewar, Val. (2024-02-11). "UFC Vegas 86: Michael Johnson Puts on Veteran Performance, Beats Darrius Flowers".
92. Alexander K. Lee. (2024-12-14). "UFC Tampa video: Michael Johnson annihilates Ottman Azaitar with hellacious knockout punch". mmafighting.com.
93. Brian Mazique. (2024-12-15). "UFC Tampa Results: Bonus Winners, Highlights And Reactions". forbes.com.
94. Jed Meshew. (2025-05-29). "UFC 318: Fan-friendly lightweights collide on Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 3 fight card". mmafighting.com.
95. Staff. (2025-07-19). "UFC 318: Michael Johnson Still a Menace, Wins Decision Over Daniel Zellhuber". cagesidepress.com.
96. Mike Heck. (2025-12-08). "UFC 324: Lineup revealed for Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett fight card". mmafighting.com.
97. Rami Afif. (2026-01-25). "Michael Johnson vs. Alexander Hernandez Called Off from UFC 324 Card, Promotion Announces". bodyslam.net.
98. Nolan King. (2026-01-25). "Dana White confirms UFC 324 fight was canceled due to betting concerns". mmajunkie.usatoday.com.
99. "UFC Records - Lightweight".
100. Thomas Gerbasi. (December 31, 2018). "The Biggest Upsets of 2018". [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]].
101. Thomas Gerbasi. (January 5, 2018). "The Top Ten Fights of 2017". [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]].
102. Sherdog.com. "Sherdog.com's 2017 Fight of the Year".
103. Sherdog.com. "Sherdog.com's 2017 Round of the Year".
104. (December 14, 2017). "Thursday Tap Out: The Year-End Awards Edition".
105. Snowden, Jonathan. "Bleacher Report 2017 MMA Awards: Best Fighter, Fight, Finishes and Story". Bleacher Report.
106. Iole, Kevin. (January 3, 2018). "The MMA Fight of the Year might best be renamed after UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje".
107. "2017 UFC Fight of the Year: Gaethje vs. Johnson blows away the competition". CBSSports.com.
108. Carroll, Peter. (January 4, 2018). "MMA Fighting’s 2017 Fight of the Year: Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Johnson".
109. Bohn, Mike. (January 8, 2018). "MMAjunkie's '2017 Fight of the Year': Debuting champion lives up to hype".
110. (2018-01-03). "MMAjunkie '2017 Round of the Year': Absolutely menacing highlight". MMAjunkie.
111. "Bloody Elbow 2017 Year-End Awards - Results". Bloody Elbow.
112. "MMA 2017 Year in Review: Fight of the Year". Cageside Press.
113. Symes, Kyle. (January 8, 2018). "Combat Press 2017 MMA Awards: Fight of the Year – Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Johnson".
114. Cain, Jeff. (January 5, 2018). "2017 Fight of the Year: Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Johnson".
115. Sherdog.com. "Michael".