Hype has been following Michael Johnson ever since he fought his way into the The Ultimate Fighter house. The only question was, will Johnson live up to it?
Tonight, he took a big step in proving that the hype is justified and he’s ready to go.
Since losing to Jonathan Brookins in the TUF 12 Finale, Johnson has looked great.
He hit a small speed bump against Paul Sass, but since that loss he has rattled off solid wins against Shane Roller, Tony Ferguson and most recently, a wicked KO of Danny Castillo.
Johnson is looking better and better with each passing fight. He is striking with pin-point accuracy and there’s a ton of power behind every punch. He also has something that is key to being a fighter, which is a lot of heart.
Look no further than his fight against Castillo tonight. He got caught by a huge right hand that floored him early, and Castillo nearly finished him with some ground and pound and attempted submissions. But Johnson survived the round and came roaring back to knock out his opponent.
That’s heart.
Johnson still has room to grow, and needs to round out his skills a little bit more. He’s only 26 years old and is still a few years from hitting the prime of his career. He deserves a step up in competition for his next fight and I believe he will get one.
If he keeps up his current pace against increased competition, “The Menace” will be a real and very dangerous threat in the deep lightweight division.
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