Michael Johnson has endured a lot of misfortune in his UFC career, but he proved why he’s still a dangerous out for anybody in the lightweight division on Saturday night.
In a potential must-win situation, Johnson blasted Alan Patrick with a lightning quick combination of punches capped off with a nasty left hook that put the Brazilian down and out on the canvas. A couple more shots on the ground finished the fight, with Johnson getting the knockout win at 3:22 in the second round.
“My performance speaks for itself,” Johnson said afterwards. “The journey was rough. I was in a dark, dark place. I saw the light and just got out of that dark hole.
“That still shows people I’m one of the best strikers in this division. I’ve got a lot to climb, I’m onto the next step.”
Coming off four losses in a row, Johnson had his back against the wall heading into UFC Vegas 54, but he didn’t perform like he was just trying to eke out a victory. Instead, he was firing on all cylinders as he went headhunting on Patrick early and often, with the throwing bombs at each other.
Johnson had success with his long jab, which has always been one of his signature punches, but he was also escaping the exchanges without allowing Patrick to really score much in return.
The end came in the second round after Johnson unleashed a huge shot to the body followed by the left hook that snapped Patrick’s head around on a swivel before he crashed down to the canvas. Johnson had no intention of allowing the fight to continue after that knockdown, with the fight being stopped just seconds later.
With notable wins on his résumé including Edson Barboza and a knockout over Dustin Poirier, Johnson has always been a threat to anybody in the lightweight division, and his statement win on Saturday proved he’s not going anywhere just yet.