Alliance MMA lightweight standout Johnny “Hollywood” Case felt his UFC Fight Night 59 opponent, Frankie Perez, break mid-fight.
He remembers the moment, and from that point on, he knew the fight was his.
In a sport like MMA where such absolutes are rarely found, Case’s confidence and intuition is impressive. It’s risky business assuming the fight is yours inside the UFC Octagon, but Hollywood felt the shift and knew he had both hands on the steering wheel with the finish line rapidly approaching.
Bleacher Report caught up with Case in the wake of this win—his second in as many tries with the UFC—and he described the exact second he felt Perez yield in Boston and more. Following is the transcript from our chat.
Bleacher Report: Hey, Johnny, thanks for taking the time to chat. First off, great win in Boston. That’s two straight inside the Octagon for you now. Who do you have your sights set on moving forward?
Johnny Case: I think Joe Ellenberger really makes a lot of sense. He was the first person I was supposed to fight in the UFC, but unfortunately I had a detached retina and I had to back out of the fight. And him being from the Midwest as well, we were supposed to fight a few times in the regional circuit. I think the fans would really like that.
B/R: I know you had some beef with Ramsey Nijem. Is that fight still on your mind?
JC: I think Ramsey’s had like 10 fights in the UFC, and this will only be my third. Realistically, I want to go as slowly as I can and make this career as long as possible. If they throw me Ramsey Nijem, that’s great, but I’m cool with postponing that until a later date. He’s on a two-fight losing streak I think, and it would be nice to give him his pink slip, but I’m just thinking about myself. I don’t care about settling any grudges right now.
But yeah, Joe Ellenberger is the most interesting one to me. Ever since the UFC released that (first) date, I’ve kind of had that taste in my mouth.
B/R: Before the fight, you said you expected the crowd to be drunk and rowdy and ready for blood. How was the atmosphere in Boston? Did it live up to your expectations?
JC: Boston was great, man. Everybody was really excited and excited for all the fighters to be there. They were actually really respectful and polite. They weren’t talking s–t and drunk and belligerent; they were pretty educated as far as the fight game’s concerned.
There were a lot of Irish people. It was hard to understand a lot of them when they got drunk and started talking fast *laughs*.
B/R: Regarding the fight itself, I think you allowed a takedown in Round 1, but after that it was basically a blowout. How did you feel in that fight?
JC: He did get a clinch takedown in the first round, but to be honest, when you’re in a fight, you don’t really know how well you’re doing. You just kind of get in a zone and let the body do what it does. It was a dominating performance, and I’m happy I got away with the win, but I feel like I made some mistakes, and it’s good to be able to see that and be able to critique yourself. I feel like there are things I need to work on, and I’m more than happy to get back in there and take care of them.
B/R: That’s two fights in a row now where you’ve allowed a takedown in Round 1 before turning it around and taking control. What do you make of these slow starts?
JC: Back in the regional days, I was a first-round fighter. I’d come out, I’d set the tempo and just put the pace high, and usually I’d finish them in the first round. But with the step up in competition, and I don’t know if it’s just being in the UFC or what, but I tend to be a slow first-round starter.
I think I’m going to have to start sparring in the back for my warm-up. That way when I get out there I’m on Round 2 or 3.
B/R: Against Perez, things really took off for you in that third round. Did you feel something in that stanza? Did you sense the blood in the water, so to speak?
JC: I kind of knew in the second round that he was breaking. There was one part in the fight where I was on top of him and I was in his guard hitting him with blows and kind of smothering his breathing. I remember he started making some noises. He was like, “Uhhhhh!” making noises like a p—y would make, you know? He was kind of groaning.
I remember I looked him in the eyes and I said, “You’re tired, aren’t you?” And he just gave me a look of panic. He just looked at me in panic. And I remember—they actually showed it on TV—I stuck out my tongue and looked at my corner. That was kind of the moment where I realized he was breaking. I knew he was done. He didn’t want in that fight.
I didn’t know if I could get the finish, because he was a tough kid, he did everything he could to stay alive. But I knew he was done at that point.
B/R: “Johnny Hollywood” has a nice ring to it, but you’re from Iowa, man! I see a lot of people giving you grief over that on Twitter, so I have to ask: What’s up with the “Hollywood” nickname?
JC: I’ve got a lot of highlight-reel finishes, like flashy knockouts, and I’ve got those pretty-boy looks too. *laughs* So that goes into it as well.
And this was another thing that I just figured out like a year ago. Remember the video game, Mortal Kombat? That one character Johnny Cage, his nickname was actually “Hollywood” as well. So I thought that was kind of crazy. Take your pick, I don’t know, but I got the nickname from my highlight-reel finishes and my pretty-boy looks, I guess.
B/R: That makes sense. Thanks for clarifying. Now, moving forward, what’s your time line looking like? When are you looking to get back in the cage?
JC: I think I want to fight in April, April 4, that Virginia card. I’m getting back out and I’m going to go on one little last vacation with the kids, then I’ll be back in San Diego (at Alliance MMA) training.
B/R: I’m definitely looking forward to that next fight. The first two have turned out pretty perfectly for you. Now that you’ve had a second to step back, how do you assess those performances?
JC: It’s definitely a good feeling to be 2-0 in the UFC right now, and it’s good because I know I’m getting better. In the fights, I don’t know if it’s because I’m relaxed and comfortable or what, but I do see, in hindsight, that I’m making some mistakes. So it’s good to be aware of that, but at the same time, I’ve been fortunate enough that nobody capitalized on them.
B/R: Excellent. Thanks again for taking the time to chat today. I’ll let you get back to your relaxing vacation.
JC: I appreciate it, man. Thanks for the time.
*All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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