The fight game comes with constant pressure and expectations intact, and Michael Johnson has discovered it's an environment he's built to thrive in.

The UFC lightweight contender has been on a path of steady progression since his days competing on "The Ultimate Fighter," and his personal evolution through experience has made him a fighter to watch in the crowded 155-pound ranks. Johnson has enjoyed several stretches of success during his six years under the UFC banner, but his journey has also come with adversity and setbacks as well.

His ability to learn from missteps and face harsh realities front and center allowed Johnson to remain focused despite the urgency of back-to-back losses, and doing so took his killer instinct to an entirely new level coming into his bout with Dustin Poirier at Fight Night 94.

Johnson came into his bout with Poirier ready to show the world a beast unleashed, and that's precisely what happened. The Blackzilians fighter settled Poirier with a crisp combination that earned him a first-round knockout and a blast of hype all in one fell swoop.

With the impressive performance, Johnson not only proved he's ready for more but also that his speed kills approach is as lethal as it's ever been.

"The speed of my punches in that fight came with my shoulders getting healthy," Johnson said. "When I had my labrum and my rotator cuff repaired is when I realized how badly they had been damaged for a long amount of time. I was fighting for two years before I got them both fixed, but now I'm getting them healthy again and everything is firing on all cylinders.

"It felt great to go in there and get a devastating knockout and prove to myself I'm progressing, only getting better and healthy again. Now it's onto more work and a harder opponent. It's onto better competition and higher stakes."



Following his victory in Texas, Johnson was eager to keep his momentum rolling. The 30-year-old Missouri native reached out to the UFC looking to get the biggest opportunity available, and that request was answered in the former of perennial contender Khabib Nurmagomedov.

While there was speculation the undefeated Dagestani lightweight would get a title shot against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 on November 12, Nurmagomedov's immediate championship dreams were dashed when the promotion announced Irish superstar Conor McGregor would be getting the nod at New York City's Madison Square Garden.

Despite Nurmagomedov's frustration with how things unfolded in that particular scenario, he was still willing to accept a tilt with Johnson on the same card.

Facing Nurmagomedov at the biggest event in UFC history is exactly the type of high-profile bout Johnson was looking for, and he's determined to make the most of the opportunity.

"I got what I asked for," Johnson said. "I wanted a fight in New York against a tough opponent, and all the stars aligned. I don't know the details of what happened with Khabib and the title shot, but hey I'm benefiting from it. Conor got the title fight, and now I get to step in and fight Khabib in a No. 1 contender fight. I'm ready to go in there and take care of business."

Although Nurmagomedov has battled long stretches of inactivity over the past two years due to injury, the 28-year-old Russian has looked unstoppable when he does make it to the Octagon. Nurmagomedov has dominated each of his seven opponents under the UFC banner and has done so on the strength of his impressive wrestling pedigree.

And while Johnson has wrestling chops of his own, he will be looking to exploit a different area on Nov. 12 in New York City.



"We are always working to use speed to my advantage," Johnson said. "I'm working the same path and the same training just fine-tuning a few things. That's definitely a point of the fight we believe we can take advantage of with my fast movements and level changes. I'm going to take a lot of different angles, and we are going to mix it up.

"If we have to wrestle, that's what we will do. I'm planning to go in there and fight and put in a hard 15 minutes if that's what it takes to get the job done. I'm looking forward to it."

Johnson will enter the cage at the historic Madison Square Garden as a man on a mission at UFC 205. Not only will he be facing the toughest test of his career to date, but also he will be sitting on the cusp of a title shot few others than himself and his coaches ever figured was within his striking distance.

The way Johnson sees it, his determination and abilities are sprung from a particular mindset.

Being a professional fighter means staying in a realm where violence is capable of being produced with ferocious intent, and that filter is a far stretch from the laid-back Midwestern chill of his normal persona. Yet, Johnson knows the urgency felt back in September has only amplified, and it has him more ready than ever before.

"I've never left that mindset," Johnson said. "I took it into my training, and I'm having great sessions this camp. I'm looking to take it into this fight, and just like I said going into my last one, I still feel like my back is against the wall. Everybody counted me out in the last one, and there's doing it again for this one so I keep my head down and keep putting in the work to prove them wrong."