The MMA News recently spoke with top Canadian light weight “Ragin” Kajan Johnson, as he looks to come back from a year long absense and begin his quest towards the MFC belt.
The MMA News: “It’s been almost a year since your last fight, a controversial loss to Ryan Machan. Take us through that fight and your take on the head spike that turned things around.”
Kajan Johnson: “Well it wasn’t illegal; it was a legal head spike, the rules were explained to everybody the same. If you’re in a submission your opponent can throw you on your head as much as he wants because it is up to you to let go if you want. So that was a legal spike in MFC if that was Quebec it would have been illegal, but that’s just the rules in MFC, which is fine. I was beating his ass before that and if we ever fought again I am sure I would beat his ass again, but I don’t think I would fight him again because it’s not worth my time–I did learn my lesson from it and have moved on.”
The MMA News: “Mentally how did you feel after that fight, knowing the loss would make your road to the top a lot longer?”
Kajan Johnson: “I was definitely pretty defeated; I was expecting to win that fight. I am always expecting to win, so it was hard, coupled with some of the stuff that happened after with them closing the Fortress and everything it was like oh my god what is happening with my career but it’s ok everything happens for a reason.”
The MMA News: “Can you clear up the rumors of a falling out between you and Revolution Gym? How did that whole scenario actually play out?”
Kajan Johnson: “ It wasn’t really so much to do with training as it was to do with my coaching job, I was teaching at Revolution Chilliwack and they fired me over the phone on little notice, but they did give me severance and stuff which helped. It was a bit of a kick in the face at the time but karma is a bitch and everything does come back around, I just try and stay positive and I actually ended up getting a teaching job that payed more money with less travel time. That job was hard for me but I couldn’t quit because I loved those kids so much and I couldn’t just leave them, so they kind of made the job easier for me. It was an hour and a half commute each way and teaching four or five hours straight, and I felt I had to teach extra classes for free for some of the better kids because I didn’t want to let the kids down. Now it is a lot better for me I am coaching at RAW and things have worked out for the best.”
The MMA News: “What is your current training situation like, are you still working with the same people?”
Kajan Johnson: “Pretty much, me and Tyler Jackson have been kind of doing our own thing, I still train at Revolution but I don’t do the classes which were no longer conducive to me operating at the optimum level because I need a lot more one on one time as professionals do. So a class of 30 guys all at different skill levels didn’t allow the instructors to focus on me that much so what we did was we got together and are working with Paul Lalonde during the day which works better for me. Bill Mahood is still coaching me and Tyler 3 days a week and we have been working with whoever is available, like today we have Ryan Ford coming in which is great. Bibiano is still in the mix, I do his bjj class a couple times a week depending on everyone’s schedule, It’s a great class but with me having to pay for all these classes now it is difficult at times as teaching and bouncing doesn’t always pay the greatest. “
The MMA News: “Looking back at the last year of your life since the Machan fight, what are some of the lessons you’ve learned and areas you have grown in both inside the ring and out?”
Kajan Johnson: “I’ve just grown up a bunch and I’ve realized that Vancouver isn’t the place for me if I want to make it to the top. I got to get out here and network more and train with different guys in different gyms, I can’t just stay here and hope things will come to me that is just not going to happen. I have been complaining for years that all these guys from these big gyms have it so easy to get in to the UFC because they already have 6 guys in the UFC and UFC will pull guys up from those camps so easily and that’s why I thought I hadn’t gotten in. I have to stop complaining and just go join one of those gyms and that’s exactly what I am going to do.”
The MMA News: “You were very vocal a couple months back about your quest for the MFC title, where do you feel you stand right now in the hierarchy of the MFC lightweight division and how many fights do you think you are away from a title shot?”
Kajan Johnson: “Depending on who I fight for this fight I feel I am one or two fights away. I don’t really see anyone else in their division that they have signed at light weight. Antonio McKee who is the current champion just got a four fight deal with the UFC so I don’t think he will be defending his belt any time soon. Unless he loses and comes back I don’t think I will be fighting him any time soon, and if that is the case then so be it, that is a boring fight for me but it is a good challenge so I am up for it.”
The MMA News: “Your next opponent was Brazilian Orestes Betran, but there were reports that he pulled out, can you tell us what the current situation is?”
Kajan Johnson: “They have just offered Ryan Healy who I believe is the brother of Pat Healy and the better of the two, he is good and on a 5 fight win streak. I still have to talk to my agent but I am leaning towards taking it.”
The MMA News: “Does the opponent switch through you off a little bit, or is it business as usual no matter who they put in front of you?”
Kajan Johnson: “It’s always business as usual but is does change things a little bit as it’s a different fighter and I have to use different tactics to win but really I am well rounded everywhere so I am not worried about anybody out there.”
The MMA News: “You have been competing in MMA since you were a teenager, and over the years we have seen the Ragin Kajan persona become calmer with every fight. Is this something that has come with maturity or was there a point in your life where you felt you needed a change? “
Kajan Johnson: “Both kind of. I just slowly matured and the Ragin thing built up and I was getting really vocal in dissing people and getting really hostile and head butting people and stuff. It worked at a certain level and it will work against a certain type of person if that person buys into it and tries to do the same type of thing back then your both on that energy field, but if the other person doesn’t really care and just smiles then I feel as if I’m wasting the energy as opposed to them and I realized that after the Rory McDonald fight. After that I calmed down a little too much but now I know what type of energy I have to come out with and go with the flow, I just try to be happy and constantly be acting and not reacting and I find everything comes easy then.”
The MMA News: “You were in Las Vegas training with Extreme Couture a little while back, tell us about that experience and the possibility of a move there for you in the near future.”
Kajan Johnson: “It was amazing, the best training partners, the best coaches and the best facility. It’s what I felt when the Fortress was really big and it was like ok I’m in the right spot with the right people and I have confidence in my team, confidence in myself and in my trainers and I haven’t felt that in a while. The situation with MMA in Vancouver is just not right and a lot of the guys aren’t really training or they have retired or moved away so really it’s just been me and Tyler Jackson and a couple other guys will come out once in a while. So when I went to Vegas for me it was like oh my god, all these guys have fights in UFC and are all there and grinding. Everybody is good and you have a lot of different training styles and body types, a whole bunch of different trainers with a great schedule so for me it just feels like everything is right. I’m looking at the end of February to make the move, I want to get on the February MFC show and then after that I want to move down but hopefully go back in January for a training camp.”
The MMA News: “Mixed martial arts has one of the highest risk to reward ratios in professional sports. Do you feel dedicating yourself to this sport has been worth it now that you are getting closer to reaching the top of the food chain?”
Kajan Johnson: “Yeah I feel that it’s worth it because I love it so I don’t have a choice. If I loved baseball or hockey it would be a lot more beneficial to me but unfortunately I don’t so I have to do what I love and I am not going to be successful pursuing something I don’t love for money. So I just have to pursue something I love and eventually the money will come, I just have to make sure I am being smart with the money that I do get so I don’t end up being one of those pro fighters that are broke at 35.”
The MMA News: “Is there anything you want to say to your fans or anyone you would like to thank?”
Kajan Johnson: “I want to thank my coach Bill Mahood, I want to thank Pat Ledeau for helping us out with some money to go to Vegas. I want to thank my agent Steve Gavin for taking me on and working with me, and thank the MFC for putting on good shows and finding me a replacement opponent in less than 12 hours.”