Anthony Johnson's Seek and Destroy Mission at UFC 206
Anthony Johnson's Seek and Destroy Mission at UFC 206
Anthony Johnson has come a long way since he was defeated by Daniel Cormier back at UFC 187.
Anthony Johnson has come a long way since he was defeated by Daniel Cormier back at UFC 187.
Having been submitted by the now champion back in May 2015, Johnson has gone on to put three successive wins together to launch himself back into the title mix.
Reflecting on the events of the past 18 months, Johnson said he never let himself lose focus on fighting for the title again.
"He's been on my radar ever since the moment I tapped out," Johnson told The Fight Network. "From the moment I stepped outside of the Octagon, I was thinking about what it was I needed to do to get better and to get back in the situation I find myself in right now. We worked our butts off to get back here, so we have to make the most of it and walk away with the belt."
Having learned the lessons from his last defeat, Johnson described the differences he's made to his fighting style since that defeat to Cormier in May 2015.
"Seek and destroy--that's all I do when I go inside the cage," Johnson said. "Each fight I try and be smarter, because every fighter knows for sure that I'm going to try and knock your head off. But I have to make sure that I don't give it my all every time I throw a punch. I have to be more calculated, relaxed, and patient every time I got into a fight now.
"Every day that I train, every fight that I've had, I feel like I've matured more as a fighter and a person. I see it, I feel it and I believe it."
While all of his past five wins have come by way of knockout or TKO, Johnson maintains there is far more to his game that just his incredible power.
"Most people believe I'm just a knockout artist," Johnson said. "I'll take the credit for that; I don't mind it. But I work hard on my ground game now, ever since I've had Neil Melanson with me, and I also work hard on my wrestling. Believe it or not, just because Daniel took me down twice it doesn't mean that my wrestling sucks--it's Daniel Cormier. He's an elite wrestler. I fought Phil Davis and he's an elite wrestler too, but I stopped his takedowns. It was two different levels.
"With Daniel I think I stopped, I think he was 2/8 or 2/9 for takedowns attempts. My wrestling isn't bad, he just got me when it counted for him."
Earlier this week it was revealed that Georges St-Pierre would no longer be on the card as originally planned. Speaking about the effect this has on him and Cormier now being the main event, the Blackzilians man said it really didn't matter to him all that much.
"I don't feel any pressure at all," Johnson said. "Toronto is great, Canada is awesome. I just want to put on the best performance possible. I know the fans will appreciate it because I fight hard, every fight. Daniel fights hard, every fight.
"I know the fans will appreciate it, because we might not live to the hype the GSP has brought to this country or what Jon Jones or Alexander Gustafsson did, but me and Daniel are no slouches. We are going to go out there and get the job done and put on an exciting fight, too."
Johnson believes that with Jon Jones out the picture for the foreseeable future, he and Cormier are the elite fighters in the UFC's light heavyweight division and that no one can stop either of them.
"I didn't give it my all the last time, but this time I will," Johnson said. "I will be way more focused that the first time we fought. Right now the top guys are Daniel and myself--who else is there to give us a run for our money?
"I've beaten Gus, Daniel has beaten Gus. I've beaten Glover, Daniel hasn't fought him yet. I've beaten Bader. It's just me and Daniel. I don't see anyone else stepping in front of us can do anything about it."
Having been submitted by the now champion back in May 2015, Johnson has gone on to put three successive wins together to launch himself back into the title mix.
Never losing focus on the title
Reflecting on the events of the past 18 months, Johnson said he never let himself lose focus on fighting for the title again.
"He's been on my radar ever since the moment I tapped out," Johnson told The Fight Network. "From the moment I stepped outside of the Octagon, I was thinking about what it was I needed to do to get better and to get back in the situation I find myself in right now. We worked our butts off to get back here, so we have to make the most of it and walk away with the belt."
The changes he's made since UFC 187
Having learned the lessons from his last defeat, Johnson described the differences he's made to his fighting style since that defeat to Cormier in May 2015.
"Seek and destroy--that's all I do when I go inside the cage," Johnson said. "Each fight I try and be smarter, because every fighter knows for sure that I'm going to try and knock your head off. But I have to make sure that I don't give it my all every time I throw a punch. I have to be more calculated, relaxed, and patient every time I got into a fight now.
"Every day that I train, every fight that I've had, I feel like I've matured more as a fighter and a person. I see it, I feel it and I believe it."
More than just a knockout artist
While all of his past five wins have come by way of knockout or TKO, Johnson maintains there is far more to his game that just his incredible power.
"Most people believe I'm just a knockout artist," Johnson said. "I'll take the credit for that; I don't mind it. But I work hard on my ground game now, ever since I've had Neil Melanson with me, and I also work hard on my wrestling. Believe it or not, just because Daniel took me down twice it doesn't mean that my wrestling sucks--it's Daniel Cormier. He's an elite wrestler. I fought Phil Davis and he's an elite wrestler too, but I stopped his takedowns. It was two different levels.
"With Daniel I think I stopped, I think he was 2/8 or 2/9 for takedowns attempts. My wrestling isn't bad, he just got me when it counted for him."
Not worried about GSP not being at UFC 206
Earlier this week it was revealed that Georges St-Pierre would no longer be on the card as originally planned. Speaking about the effect this has on him and Cormier now being the main event, the Blackzilians man said it really didn't matter to him all that much.
"I don't feel any pressure at all," Johnson said. "Toronto is great, Canada is awesome. I just want to put on the best performance possible. I know the fans will appreciate it because I fight hard, every fight. Daniel fights hard, every fight.
"I know the fans will appreciate it, because we might not live to the hype the GSP has brought to this country or what Jon Jones or Alexander Gustafsson did, but me and Daniel are no slouches. We are going to go out there and get the job done and put on an exciting fight, too."
The top two in the division
Johnson believes that with Jon Jones out the picture for the foreseeable future, he and Cormier are the elite fighters in the UFC's light heavyweight division and that no one can stop either of them.
"I didn't give it my all the last time, but this time I will," Johnson said. "I will be way more focused that the first time we fought. Right now the top guys are Daniel and myself--who else is there to give us a run for our money?
"I've beaten Gus, Daniel has beaten Gus. I've beaten Glover, Daniel hasn't fought him yet. I've beaten Bader. It's just me and Daniel. I don't see anyone else stepping in front of us can do anything about it."