Miles Johns wanted a fun fight at UFC 247, thinks he found it in Mario Bautista

HOUSTON –  Miles Johns is vigilant about assessing the competition in the UFC bantamweight division.

For example, when UFC 247 opponent Mario Bautista’s name slid across his desk, Johns (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) claims he knew exactly what he was getting himself into. In an interview with MMA Junkie on Wednesday, Johns revealed Bautista (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was actually on his short list of fighters he wanted to face in his sophomore UFC outing.

“I actually told a couple people this was the fight I wanted after I saw his Jin (Soo) Son fight,” Johns said. “He had an excellent fight – a ‘fight of the night’. He’s a really exciting fighter and just takes the fight everywhere. That’s the type of fight I want. I want to get my name out there. I want to fight the best guys and up-and-coming prospects, so when I get to the top ranks, I’m ready and prepared. I was happy to get this matchup.”

At UFC on ESPN+ 16 in September, Johns made his promotional debut against fellow undefeated debutant Cole Smith. The fight was closely contested and went to the judges’ scorecards, but Johns received the nod. Now, with a UFC fight under his belt, Johns feels a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

“It feels great,” Johns said. “I feel a lot more relaxed this time. The fact that it’s in the UFC isn’t really in my head as much. It just feels like another fight. I’m feeling a lot more experienced after one fight. It’s good. I think it’s everything. I think it’s mental and physical.”

As for the fight Saturday, Johns is gunning for a dominant performance. Taking his opponent’s toughness into consideration however, Johns won’t be surprised if Bautista hangs tough.

“Of course I want to get a ‘Performance of the Night,’” Johns said. “That’s always a goal and I do see holes in his game, but I just loved his grit. I love how he just tried to take the fight from Jin (Soo) Son. Like I said, I see holes in his game and I’m going to expose those holes. I’m looking for a good fight.”

UFC 247 takes place, Saturday at Toyota Center in Houston. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Check out MMA Junkie’s full UFC 247 pre-fight interview with Miles Johns in the video above.