UFC Tampa was, at least in part, a showcase for older fighters.
While 41-year-old Cub Swanson’s KO of Billy Quarantillo in the co-main event naturally garnered the most attention, 38-year-old Michael Johnson followed up with a brutal KO of Ottman Azaitar after the match. He scored with a unique and spectacular finish. An evening anchor will be held Saturday night at Amalie Arena.
Johnson, who was a finalist on 2010’s “The Ultimate Fighter 12,” never imagined his career would last this long.
“I didn’t think I’d fight until I was 38,” he said during the UFC Tampa post-fight press conference (video via MMAjunkie.com). “My plan was to go to the UFC, fight the best fighters, win, win the title, and be financially able to retire at about 30 years old…and it’s been eight years. I’m still going. It feels great. I don’t mind missing the first goal. Now I’m on to the second goal, and that’s what keeps me motivated.”
While Johnson hasn’t seriously competed for a championship, he does have a number of notable moments on his resume, including wins over Dustin Poirier, Edson Barboza, Tony Ferguson, Joe Lauzon, and Melvin Guillard, to name a few. It is summarized in a book. He also competed against many other big names in the sport during his tenure, such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, and Nate Diaz. At this point, “The Menace” is feeling a growing appreciation from the MMA fan base.
“I see the fans change as time goes on. It’s like a different type of exercise and you never really know what you’re going to get,” he said. “So 15 years later, the fans still enjoy watching me fight, and that motivates me even more to come here and keep fighting as hard as I can and keep getting better every day. I felt it.”
“That’s the next thing for me – to get back in the gym and work on what I need to work on to improve. My wrestling can be fixed. My jiu-jitsu can always be fixed. I can. My hitting can always be fixed. I just want to improve day by day. I’m focused on growing.”
After going 2-0 in 2024, Johnson is optimistic about the next few years and doesn’t see an end date on his fighting career.
“I think Nate Diaz said it best, and he became a good friend. He was my enemy. We keep in touch all the time, but he said, ‘Damn, I’m going to fight until I’m 50. “It’s just the beginning,” he said. That’s what it is,” Johnson said.
“I’ve just started. This may be my peak. Many people reach their peak at age 25 or 30. [years old]. I may reach my peak at age 38 or 40. ”
