Ahead Of His Featherweight Debut, Michael Johnson Reveals He Hasn’t Weighed 145-Pounds Since He Was 13
Michael Johnson will make his featherweight debut on Jan. 14 when he takes on Darren Elkins at UFC Fight Night 124 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Having lost four out of his last five fights at 155-pounds, Johnson decided to move weight classes last year and he revealed in Rotterdam in September that he would be making the cut to 145-pounds for the first time in his career. Speaking on the ESPN ‘Five Rounds’ Podcast this week, Johnson revealed how the weight cut was going 11 days removed from the fight.
“I’m actually sitting at about 12-pounds over right now,” Johnson said. “I’m full of energy and I haven’t missed practices. I’ve been in there and going through full practices with no injuries or anything like that. What I’m missing is being a fat kid. That’s it.”
Some fighters when they move weight classes choose to do a practice cut where they mimic a fight week and attempt to cut to their new weight limit. Johnson, however, won’t be doing this and instead will be looking to make 145-pounds on his first attempt at UFC Fight Night 124 official weigh-ins.
“No practice cuts,” Johnson said. “I’m very confident I can make the weight and go down. In my last two camps that I’ve done, I’ve dieted down to like 163, so I feel like if I can get down to 155 before, I should get down to 145 no problem.”
Johnson was then asked when he last remembers weighing 145-pounds. He revealed that given the other sports he’s played in his life, it’s been over 18 years since he had.
“Yeah, well, I played football in my freshmen year of college and I was weighing close to 200-pounds there,” Johnson said. “So, my weight has been fluctuating up and down a lot. The last time I was 145-pounds I was 13. I wrestled 145 during my freshmen year at high school.”
Johnson then reiterated that the move down to 145-pounds isn’t just for one fight. “The Menace” has his eyes on beating Elkins and then getting a shot at the champion. Only when he has the belt will he think of moving back up to lightweight.
“I’m all in on this weight class and this weight right now,” Johnson said. “I want to get up to that title and take that title away from Max or Frankie or whoever has it at that point. Then maybe I’ll think about coming back up to 155 to hold two of them, but for now, my focus is on 145-pounds.”
