Athletes
Charles Johnson Still Has A Chip On His Shoulder
Surging Flyweight Talks Camp Changes, Successful 2024 Ahead Of 2025 Debut
Charles Johnson entered last year with his back against the wall and a chip on his shoulder, and despite entering 2025 on a four-fight winning streak, the situation remains the same.
“My back is against the wall. I have all the risk again,” said Johnson, who takes on Ramazan Temirov in the opener of Saturday’s fight card at the UFC APEX. “I’m motivated and I’m very prepared to do what I need to do.”
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There were sound reasons for the 34-year-old to head into his first bout of 2024 feeling like he was backed into a corner, as after beginning the previous year with a sharp, first-round finish of Jimmy Flick, the former LFA champ dropped consecutive contests to Ode’ Osbourne, Cody Durden, and Rafael Estevam, with the last of those carrying a particularly bad sting given the Brazilian missed weight by a considerable margin.
It left the active flyweight with a 2-4 record inside the Octgaon, and potentially fighting for his place on the roster when he stepped in with Azat Maksum at the start of February.
A victory there was followed by a win at home in St. Louis over Jake Hadley, and then a third-round stoppage of Joshua Van in Denver in the summer. To wrap up the year, Johnson out-worked Sumudaerji, collecting a fourth straight victory and forcing his way into the Top 15 in the process.
“2024 was a redemption year for me,” began Johnson, whose record stands at 17-6 heading into this weekend’s clash with the UFC sophomore Temirov. “And it was for me, for myself.
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"I learned how to win at the highest level. You could have the greatest camp, doing everything at the highest level — and I always am — and it could not go your way. I had to look at things differently, had to lock in on things more, think more strategically about how I was training, how I was recovering, and I took all that into account after the Estevam fight.
“I fought him on Saturday, and on Tuesday, I was in the gym, training again,” he added. “I had to get better.”
That mindset carried over into last year and remained throughout his winning streak, resulting in his decision to relocate to Orlando, Florida to join the team at Fusion Xcel.
"I was in Michigan for three years — me and Joaquin Buckley — and Joaquin moved back to St. Louis,” Johnson said, explaining the sequence of events and relationships that prompted to him to make the move to warmer climes. "I’ve known Mike Davis since we did the tryouts at Tiger Muay Thai in 2019, we’ve been in communication, but I never thought about coming here until the Miami fight card that was here in March.
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“I went to MMA Masters and then I travelled down here, spent the week down here, and I loved it so much that I decided to move to Orlando.
“I feel like the Monstars in the movie Space Jam, where they touch the ball and get their powers from the others,” he added with a laugh. “I feel like I’m taking the powers from all the others I’m in the gym with. Rodolfo (Vieira) is showing me things. Phil Rowe showing me things, Mike Davis, Terrence (McKinney).
“I just can’t wait ’til I’m implementing everything the way I’m working to.”
Generally speaking, you might expect a fighter on a four-fight winning streak and fresh off breaking into the rankings to be all smiles and high fives, eager to keep pushing forward and working towards having just a single digit next to their name.
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But Johnson isn’t there.
Though he’s certainly proud of what he accomplished in 2024, he’s also itching to get some of the same opportunities to fight forward being doled out to others that aren’t on the same type of winning streak he carries into his 2025 debut.
“I don’t have anything against it, but I look at the opportunities other guys get when they come into the promotion from RIZIN, from Eternal, but what are these promotions compared to LFA, that has had hundreds of not only ranked guys, but a plethora of champions?” he asked rhetorically. “I’m a three-time champion from that promotion. Why am I not getting an opportunity when I’m on a three-fight winning streak, four-fight winning streak? Give me a chance.
“So this is where we are,” he added. “I’m never get upset at them or their opportunities, but it’s like, ‘When is it gonna be my turn? When am I gonna get the opportunities these guys are getting?’ I’m on a four-fight winning streak in one year — who else has done that, in this division?”
Rather than simply focusing on the opportunities that haven’t been coming his way, “InnerG” has looked inward for answers.
While earning victories is always paramount, Johnson knows that simply winning on the scorecards isn’t bringing him matchups he craves and the potentially career-altering opportunities he wants. As such, he’s approached the four months since his win over Sumudaerji last October with a new mantra.
"I can’t control other people — how they feel about me, what they think about me; I can’t convince anyone to like me,” he offered. “All I can control is what I say to myself the last four months since I got into camp for Sumudaerji, and that’s ‘train to dominate.’
“When I fight, I’m not fighting to win, I’m not fighting just to compete anymore — I’m training to dominate, so when I get in there, that’s what I expect to do in every facet.”
Though the road to this point of his UFC journey hasn’t been smooth, Johnson, like many others that have experienced stumbles in the early stages of their time on the big stage, takes comfort in the paths carved out by two of the most beloved and decorated fighters on the roster when thinking about what the future could still hold.
“Charles Oliveira’s career, Max Holloway’s career — they had early losses before they rattled off seven, eight, nine wins to become world champions,” said Johnson, who is looking at Saturday’s contest with Temirov as an opportunity to extend his winning streak and continue working towards the things that he wants.
“For me, it’s another opportunity to prove my worth, another opportunity to continue to show myself. I’m just looking to dominate, getting back to how I was in LFA, moving around, talking my s***.
“It’s gonna be a tough fight, but they’re all tough,” he added. “I’m excited about this one.”
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Almabayev took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 1, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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