I will be the first to admit that many of my predictions don’t turn out very well. Before I put together a column or slideshow on how I think a fight card will turn out I like to read up on not only the statistics, but also find out who these lesser-known fighters really are.
Shortly before Lavar Johnson’s UFC debut I looked up his professional record. I saw he was 15-5 with 13 of those wins coming via knockout. He was coming off of two consecutive losses and faced a hungry fighter in Joey Beltran, who had never been knocked out.
After dissecting the facts and reading about Johnson, I came to the conclusion that Joey Beltran would suffer his first KO loss and be cut from the UFC.
As soon as Johnson dropped Beltran I leaped off the couch (I didn’t dance on it like Tom Cruise). I was ecstatic. My beer dropped, the dog was barking, and my wife was doing her normal roll of the eyes. I wasn’t overly excited because I finally nailed a prediction, but rather I was happy for a man who has overcome such a tough road to be where he is today.
Johnson is scheduled to face Pat Barry on the main card at UFC on FOX 3 in May. While this is a milestone in his eight-year professional career, it pales in comparison to what he accomplished on July 5, 2009.
On that tragic day, Johnson earned his greatest victory by staying alive.
He was in Bakersfield, California attending a family reunion that coincided with the Fourth of July holiday. The party carried into the early morning hours of the next day when according to Bakersfield police, three teens walked past the residence. One of the teens pulled out a firearm and started shooting.
Johnson was struck by three bullets. He was hit in the hip, forearm, and abdomen. In a 2010 interview with Bleacher Report, Johnson said, “I was awake the whole time. I just tried to stay calm and save my energy.”
Just 10 months removed from being shot three times, Johnson returned to the cage and beat Lolohea Mahe by TKO in the second round of a Strikeforce Challengers event.
Johnson now finds himself in the spotlight. He is going to be on national television facing a respected opponent in Pat Barry. Barry and Johnson are going to put on a good old fashioned slug fest for the FOX audience.
Should Johnson beat Barry it would propel him into the top 15 of the division. A loss, however, could very well put the brakes on his UFC career.
It is no secret that Johnson most likely only has one chance to launch himself up the heavyweight rankings. He will be 35 years old this year, and that does not leave much room for error.
Age is certainly just a number for Johnson. He is a motivated individual who does not take a single day for granted.
I certainly wouldn’t pick against him.
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