Charles Johnson | Big Fight ‘InnerG’

“What I was dealing with going into that fight was the mentality from the Alex Perez fight. Obviously, it's always a little carryover, and I knew I was very honest with myself. I wrote in my journal fight week, and during camp, ‘You're gonna have to go through some mental battles the day of the fight,’ because I was so prepared for Alex, and then that fight went the way it went, so I knew that was one hurdle I was going to have to defeat that day, and I prepared myself as much as I could.”

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Johnson also revealed that, as well as the mental challenge of bouncing back from a knockout loss, he was also dealing with the physical pain of competing while injured.

“It was tough warming up and everything, man, but also I injured myself two weeks before the fight,” he explained. “My foot went through the cage, and I broke my foot, and I didn't know. I just kept training, but I couldn't jump rope. I couldn't do anything that I normally do. I couldn't push off on my foot.

“My matchmaker moves fast, so it's literally like the night of the fight or the next morning, I have an opponent,” he said.“He loves to move fast. He has an idea what he wants to do with this great weight class that he's constructed, and there's a lot of parity starting to happen within the weight class, especially for myself.

“So, when he offered it to me, it was my first opportunity at the top 10, but also my way to right my wrong of losing to Alex immediately in my mind. That’s not how he posed it, but that's what was offered, and I wanted Brandon Royval for International Fight Week. I thought that would have been a great fight for the fans, but this is a fight that was sent my way.”

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The challenge ahead of him is a different one from many of the others he’s faced in his UFC career to date. In a division packed with fighters who tend to lean towards the striking arts, he’ll have to take on one of the UFC’s best grapplers at 125 pounds. On top of that, it’s the highest-ranked opponent of his career, with Almabayev ranked seventh in the newly released Meta UFC Rankings.

“It’s a top 10 fight, I think he’s lost like one time in the Octagon in the UFC, and the archetype that I've had trouble with. I have to prove myself,” he admitted. “I respect the Kazakh people so much. I fought two of those guys already. They're generally well-rounded, but where he excels is definitely grappling. But I believe that he's strong (and) he has effective striking for his style.

“I don't discount any person that I fight, and I know that this fight is definitely going to be a harder fight than most people would imagine, because what he does doesn't look pretty, but it's effective, right?”

Despite Almabayev’s grappling chops, Johnson isn’t expecting to face a one-trick pony on fight night and knows he’ll have to have his full MMA game on point to deal with the dangerous Kazakh in all facets of the game.

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“I don't expect him just to grapple. If he does, I'm fine with that, but I'm expecting the best version of Asu, and I think he'll have another layer of his game he's trying to show as well, and so I'm very excited about that aspect of it,” he said.

“If he does strike with me, I don't think he will for too long, especially trading, you know? I think we'll see a lot of grappling exchanges, but it's like I said, it all boils down to Charles InnerG’ Johnson going in there, being the best version of himself, and what I allow to happen.”

It’s an excellent matchup in a weight class that has flourished in recent years and has emerged as one of the most entertaining divisions in the sport. For Johnson, there’s no weight class better.

“I think we have the best weight class in all of MMA, to be honest, skill-for-skill,” he said. “If we're just talking about skill, it's the best weight class, easily. The fastest pace. You see the most martial arts. At 135, too, but they slow down after two rounds, one round and a half, just like everyone else. The flyweights, man, you see three rounds of crazy transitions, everything.

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“Mick (Maynard has) recruited all champions, and undefeated young athletes who've competed in IMMAF across the world as amateurs, and these guys are prepared, man. We’re in the age of MMA, where the skillset is just better. It's more knowledge, it's a more refined sport, and so flyweight is the best weight class, in my opinion. I'm in that weight class, and I believe I've beaten six guys that have either been ranked at some point in their career or in the rankings currently, and so for me it's just about putting together more wins (and) finishes.”

Competing in the rarified air of the flyweight top 15, Johnson knows he has a big opportunity in Baku, and “InnerG” plans on delivering a clear statement to the rest of the division on Saturday night.

“Charles Johnson should be competing for a title before he's getting rematches – that's the statement I'm making,” he said.

“Charles Johnson should be getting a main event. Charles “InnerG” Johnson in Japan against whoever you want from the Japan side that you think is next in line for a title shot. You’ve got Manel (Kape), and you’ve got (former champion Alexandre) Pantoja in place for the title. If Manel really chooses to hold out, then I think the next person is (Tatsuro) Taira, which makes sense.

“So, the statement that you get from Charles Johnson this week is, I’m one of the best guys in the world, if not the best, and I’m going to show you.”