Sometimes, it’s good to be the guy who volunteers any time the UFC needs someone to fill in for an injured fighter.
UFC officials announced on Thursday morning that Michael Johnson has replaced an injured Ross Pearson and will meet his former Blackzilians teammate Melvin Guillard in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 37.
The event takes place March 8 at London’s O2 Arena. It is headlined by a light heavyweight bout between top contender Alexander Gustafsson and rising-but-unknown prospect Jimi Manuwa. The entire event airs exclusively on the UFC’s new digital Fight Pass service, which is currently in a much-criticized free trial before beginning full services on March 1st. The London event is considered the “kickoff” show for Fight Pass events.
The Johnson vs. Guillard fight comes nearly a year to the day that Guillard—who has developed something of a reputation for his camp-hopping ways—revealed the news that he was leaving the Blackzilians team:
Of course, Guillard would not actually go back to Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts. His old teammates there held a vote and decided not to allow him back in the gym.
On Thursday, Guillard suggested that Pearson wasn’t actually injured, but pulled out of the fight because “he remembers what happened last fight.”
Guillard also hinted at bad blood between himself and his former teammate.
Johnson has quietly won five of his last seven bouts, a run that includes two consecutive wins over Joe Lauzon and Gleison Tibau. Johnson is currently ranked #13 in the UFC’s official lightweight rankings; Guillard, once considered such a promising contender, is unranked.
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