Michael Johnson recently recapped his famous fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov. ‘The Menace’ is currently on a victory tour following his sensational win over Ottman Azaitar, adding to his notable achievement of putting Dustin Poirier to sleep back in September 2016.
Mike Perry hosted the long-time lightweight contender on his podcast, where they discussed a range of topics, including Conor McGregor versus Logan Paul and some wild Las Vegas stories. Naturally, the focus shifted to Johnson’s 2016 loss against Nurmagomedov, where the American fighter reflected on a moment during the fight when his opponent told him to “give up.”
Before Conor McGregor knocked out Eddie Alvarez and made history as the first dual-weight champion at UFC 205 in November 2016, Johnson faced Nurmagomedov on the undercard. Nurmagomedov, known as ‘The Eagle,’ dominated the fight with his wrestling and ultimately secured a third-round submission victory, bringing his record to a perfect 24-0.
Johnson often emphasizes that he took the fight on very short notice, stating, “I fought mine on two weeks’ notice. Nobody even talks about that. I was doing a tour for the troops when they called me.” During the podcast, the conversation turned to the infamous moment in the fight when Nurmagomedov was landing ground and pound while urging Johnson to submit.
Nurmagomedov implored, “You have to give up. I need to fight for the title. You know this. I have to fight for the title. You agree?” Reflecting on this eight years later, Johnson admitted he emphatically disagreed with his opponent, giving him an explicit two-word response and a backhand to try to silence him.
Johnson recounted his reaction, saying, “I was like, ‘F you!’ and hit him with a backhand like, ‘I’m still in it! I can’t move but I’m in it!’” He continued, “I wasn’t going to fing give up. He’s good, and all I focused on was his wrestling. That was my mistake.”
He elaborated, noting, “I went in there kind of waiting for him to shoot, trying to find my motions. I crouched down and really couldn’t move around. Bro, he’s good and strong; he felt like a middleweight. That’s a problem. He helped me get better. Without that fight, I wouldn’t be here.”
Johnson expressed that if he had been able to secure a knockout, it could have changed everything for him in the sport.
Johnson is well-equipped to discuss the greatest lightweight in UFC history. The 38-year-old has been a competitor in MMA’s premier promotion since 2011, and over that time, he has stepped into the Octagon 30 times, battling against notable fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, Nate Diaz, Justin Gaethje, and Edson Barboza.
When asked in September 2021 who he considered to be his toughest opponent, Johnson didn’t hesitate in his answer. “It’s gotta be Khabib,” he remarked in an interview with Helen Yee. He added, “It was rough. I took that fight on like two or three weeks’ notice, which people really don’t talk about. I just wasn’t that prepared to fight somebody of that caliber.”
Johnson mentioned that the opportunity intrigued him, saying, “I just saw the opportunity and thought, ‘Hell, why not? It’s a big risk with a big reward.’ Of course, I’m going to fight the best of the best in Madison Square Garden.” He concluded, “It was definitely one of the toughest ones and I have learned a lot from that fight.”
