Athletes
Darrius Flowers Isn't Settling
Darrius Flowers Has Big Plans To Make It To The Top And That Starts With Defeating Veteran Michael Johnson
Darrius Flowers admits that he’s “a little dry” when it comes to interviews this close to a fight. It’s January 17, he’s far from home and his kids in Iowa, and he’s in the middle of a weight cut from welterweight to lightweight for his Saturday bout against Michael Johnson, the most notable name on his record to date.
That’s a lot to have on your plate, so “dry” is understandable. But the 29-year-old is also a pro, so he’s going to take some questions and give his insight on a pivotal moment in a career that began in 2017.
That may not seem like a long time from the outside, but when you’re in the middle of it, some days can feel like years. But despite the ups and downs that have come along as he put together a 12-6-1 slate, Flowers is here and he’s not going anywhere soon.
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“This is all I got,” he said. “If this doesn't work out, then I'll probably be an average middle-class guy for the rest of my life if I even make it to middle class these days. So this is it for me.”
It’s why, after a loss in his UFC debut against Jake Matthews last July, the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate packed his bags in October and moved to Las Vegas, where he’s been working at the UFC Performance Institute and with John Wood and the Syndicate gang.
“I definitely needed better training partners, better training, and I’m more motivated just being here in Vegas in the fight capital,” he said. “I needed a higher level. Everything, the PI, physical therapy.”
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And some altitude, which he felt cost him cardio-wise in Utah against Matthews, as a strong start led to a second-round fade and a submission defeat. It stung, but he did make an impression, which guaranteed that we would be seeing him again.
“I knew I belonged just from training with other fighters and everything, but I could have won the fight had I been properly prepared,” said Flowers, who got hit with a serious case of altitude sickness that stuck with him when he went home from lasted for six days. “Obviously if I could compete up at welterweight with a veteran who's been there for a long time and beat ranked guys, then obviously I should be able to compete at a high level at lightweight. And that's why I think they gave me Michael Johnson.”
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Michael Johnson. One of only two fighters on the active UFC roster (with Alex Caceres) from season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter, and a veteran of 28 Octagon bouts who has beaten the likes of Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, Edson Barboza and Andre Fili. And though “The Menace” has lost two of his last three, the 37-year-old is still capable of showing why he’s kept his roster spot for nearly 14 years. And Flowers knows it.
“I don't think his record affects his performance,” he said of Johnson. “His record has nothing to do with anything and I don't even think about it. I think he's a good fighter, still has good boxing and has good takedown defense. I think he's a solid opponent, but styles make fights and I think it's a good matchup for me.”
And a good name to have on his record if he can win this weekend. Then it’s back to work, looking for more fights, getting ready to move his kids to Vegas, and continuing on a road that will lead him far from that middle-class life because Darrius Flowers isn’t settling for anything but making it to the top.
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