UFC Legend Recalls Getting Supercar from Dana White for Demetrious Johnson Title Bout

Many UFC fighters have returned to competition within a similar timeline, making comebacks after very short recovery and preparation periods. Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling experienced the same situation when the UFC offered him a title defense against rising star Sean O’Malley.

Sterling faced ‘Suga’ after three months of fighting Henry Cejudo, ultimately losing his championship belt by suffering a brutal TKO loss. According to Sterling, he never fully recovered from the injury and was forced by the UFC to defend his title.

Unlike Sterling, Cruz defeated Demetrious Johnson in a competitive fight, a performance that might have impressed Dana White significantly. Meanwhile, DJ repeatedly complained about being mistreated and undervalued by the UFC’s top brass during his dominant championship reign.

Demetrious Johnson analyze bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili 

Demetrious Johnson gained significantly more popularity among global MMA fans after his exit from the UFC. The legendary fighter officially announced his retirement last year and is now focused on creating MMA content alongside detailed fight analysis. 

Johnson is frequently seen training with top UFC superstars, including elite champions like Islam Makhachev and former legend Khabib Nurmagomedov . Recently, DJ was seen joining the current bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili for his training camp for Cory Sandhagen. In a recent interview, Johnson also talked about how he would have approached a fight against Dvalishvili. 

If I was to fight Merab, I would press him the whole entire time. Force him to shoot and try to make him stand. When he shoots, make him pay for shooting, not try to out-grapple (him). When it comes to grappling, he likes to stay in guard. So push on the face, get a knee shield, and then when he tries to come in, go underneath him. It has to be a constant fight when you fight Merab. You can’t allow him to dance outside the void and do his thing, and then he blasts a double.

Demetrious Johnson via The Simple Podcast 

Dvalishvili is widely recognized for his relentless cardio and suffocating wrestling pressure, skills used to defeat numerous legendary fighters. From Johnson’s generation, the ‘Machine’ impressively secured victories over elite names like Henry Cejudo, Jose Aldo , and John Dodson .

Heading into UFC 320, the Georgian remains the clear betting favorite against Cory Sandhagen, aiming to extend his remarkable winning streak. If so, he will become the latest fighter after Alex Pereira to defend his title three times in a single calendar year.