Athletes
Charles Johnson Is Making The Most Of His Opportunities
Already Boasting Wins Over Two Top-10 Fighters, Charles Johnson Hopes To Get Back On Track At UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos
Charles Johnson is in a unique position. He is the only person to beat current flyweight champion Joshua Van, and he also boasts a win over Lone’er Kavanagh, who just took out former champion Brandon Moreno in Mexico City. Johnson didn’t just beat both men; he knocked them out cold, and they didn’t just bounce back; they picked up the biggest wins of their career. As Van reigns over the division and Kavanagh is apparently a fight or two away from the title picture himself, Johnson, 35, remains outside of the top-10.
You won’t get a hint of bitterness from “InnerG,” though. A tinge of regret, sure, but as he heads into his second bout of 2026 against Bruno Silva, he is focused on what he can control.
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“I don't hope anymore,” Johnson told UFC.com. “(I’m) just going to stay consistent and in my prayers and whatever's going to happen to me on God's timing. And a lot of guys say things like that, but that's really where I am now. I'm thankful for my health. I'm thankful for my family. I'm thankful for being able to provide, and I'm really very excited to put things together in the cage.”
To Johnson’s credit, he has created a lot of opportunities for himself and is always ready to raise his hand and step in for a bout, as he did when Asu Almabayev pulled out of his scheduled bout with Moreno. The bout was too close to his knockout defeat to Alex Perez at UFC 324 (the first stoppage loss of his career), so Kavanagh, whose most recent fight was the knockout loss to Johnson, was plucked from a matchup with Silva, which allowed Johnson to sign the dotted line for March 14.
“It's a mixture of feelings, but never hate,” Johnson told UFC.com. “I think people's journey is their journey. So it's cool to see the success they've had. But it's also like, f***, man, I lost. And that's what stings the most for me because I've had a lot of opportunities here.”
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The possibilities remain for Johnson, who is heading into his 14th fight in the Octagon since joining the roster in July 2022. He arrived having won and defended the LFA flyweight title multiple times, and after a rocky, 2-4 start, believes he can put together a run to gold.
He won’t get caught up in the future, however, and so he has his full attention on Silva, who is coming off a strong submission win over Hyunsung Park in October 2025.
“First things first, I have to win this fight,” Johnson said. “I just really wanted to turn around, get a quick turnaround, get back in there and continue to show why I'm championship caliber in this weight class is so amazing. Everybody can be a champion on any given day. You got to show up that night. And the most consistent we've seen is Pantoja. And Joshua Van has that opportunity to come in April, so I'm excited about where things are. And I just want to get back to it.”
Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Johnson is excited to point out fight night is March 14, matching the city’s area code, “314.” Whether one believes in coincidence or not, Johnson hopes to give his hometown a performance in which it can take pride.
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More importantly, Johnson wants to get his ship back sailing in the right direction toward Van, Kavanagh and anyone else who considers themselves the best 125er on the planet.
“I'm the best version of me, and that version of me can be a world champion on any night,” Johnson said. “I know, and it's about executing come fight night. That’s what I’ve been steaming over since January, and so I get to go out here and make that happen.”
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos took place live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 14, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!