Las Vegas — Lightweight veteran Michael Johnson finds himself paired up with Drew Dober at UFC 326, after seeing his last bout cancelled on short notice under the strangest of circumstances.
Back at UFC 324 in January, the debut of the UFC on Paramount+, Johnson was booked opposite Alexander Hernandez. A promising fight, with Johnson on a three-fight win streak. Then, it slipped out that sportsbooks were seeing irregular betting activity connected to the bout. After enduring two other betting scandals in recent years, the promotion quickly pulled the plug.
“It’s crazy. Literally right when we got off the stage for the ceremonial weigh-ins, I got the bad news. It was crazy,” said Johnson (24-19) during Wednesday’s UFC 326 media day. Neither “The Menace” nor Hernandez have been accused of wrongdoing; the going belief, not confirmed, is that news of an injury slipped out from one of the camps.
“It’s just the world we live in now where things like this can get a fight pulled, and we just gotta move forward. I didn’t hear too much in detail. I understand where the UFC came from, or why they had to pull the [fight], so I definitely respect that. And now we’re back here, so no harm, no foul.”
Johnson, 39, is a veteran of both MMA and the UFC. He turned pro in 2008, and appeared on The Ultimate Fighter 12 back in 2010. He now gets the “old fighter” tag, something that began recently.
“That’s funny. Sh*t, I guess the last few years. Once I get the ‘unc’ and ‘aww man, old guys are doing good,'” Johnson said when asked just when he started being referred to as a veteran. “I’m not that old. I’m not even 40 year. We’re pushing it, but we’re not there yet.”
Against Dober, Johnson has drawn another popular figure at 115lbs. And he certainly has a picture in his mind of how he wants the fight to go.
“I’m looking to finish Drew. That’s what I’m looking for, but I’m going to enjoy the process. That’s what I’m here for. The finish can come, it can’t come, I’ll look for it. But as long as I stick to my basics and do what I need to do to win the fight, I’ll come out victorious.”
Watch the full UFC 326 media day appearance by Michael Johnson above.
