Lightweight veteran Michael Johnson returned to the octagon on Saturday after 15 months away from competition on the UFC Vegas 54 fight card in Las Vegas.
‘The Menace’ broke a four-fight losing streak with a knockout win over Alan Patrick, and it was a much needed win for the 35-year old.
“I’ve been through a lot in my life. I’ve had a lot of big wins. I’ve had a lot of devastating losses, but that’s probably one of the better moments in my life just because I was in such a dark hole, went through so much to get to this point, a year and a half layoff, being broke, trying to figure out things. It feels good,” Johnson said during the UFC Vegas 54 Post-fight Press Conference.
On such a losing streak heading into Saturday’s bout, Johnson was forced to face some hard realities.
“When you’re almost at the top, or at the top and almost there and then you’re just reduced to nothing, it feels terrible. It feels like sh*t. Especially being an athlete. We’re all considered ‘Alpha Males’, and we’re the best of the best. And then you sit back and realize that you’re not the best of the best. You lost four in a row. Something is going wrong. You end up being alone,” Johnson said.
Hear everything Johnson said during the post-fight press conference below, including whether he felt like he was fighting for his job, his financial struggles, and his future plans.
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Michael Johnson explains the pressure he was under to win at UFC Vegas 54 | Video