Sedriques Dumas has 14 arrests in 11 years in Florida. Some might call that a pattern. Donte Johnson says he’ll go to bat for Dumas as a “good man.”
UFC Fight Night 263: Donte Johnson full post-fight interview
UFC Fight Night 263 winner Donte Johnson talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after his second-round submission of Sedriques Dumas
LAS VEGAS – Donte Johnson met the media Saturday after his win over Sedriques Dumas at UFC Fight Night 263.
Johnson (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) submitted Dumas (10-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) in the second round on the prelims at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Johnson was making his UFC debut after a contract win on DWCS in August.
The tapout was the first of Johnson’s career after starting his pro run with six first-round knockouts. It also was the first time he had to go to the second round.
Afterward, Johnson defended his opponent and said there was no extra motivation given Dumas’ massively checkered background with the law – which includes an average of more than one arrest per year in Florida in the past decade or so. His latest arrest was earlier this year. But Johnson defended him and gave a guarantee that Dumas merely has been misunderstood.
“Who are we to throw stones from a glass house? Ain’t nobody perfect. We all fall short of god’s excellence,” Johnson said at his post-fight news conference. “And guess what, ya know what I’m sayin’? My life started changing when I started looking at people like a child. He’s a child to somebody, he’s a brother to somebody, he’s a cousin to somebody. So again, who are we to throw stones from a glass house? We’re all sinners.”
When Dumas was set to fight on DWCS, the father of one of his alleged victims of an assault made a public plea to UFC CEO Dana White to not go into business with him, to no avail. Dumas arrest history goes back to 2014 and includes lesser infractions like shoplifting, but also domestic violence arrests and arrests for breaking court orders related to those arrests; aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; and trespassing on school grounds with a firearm.
In April, Dumas was arrested in Florida and charged with felony home invasion robbery, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, battery, and two drug charges. He fought at Noche UFC in September, but took a low blow from Zachary Reese and had to be taken out on a stretcher.
Fourteen arrests in 11 years is impressive even by MMA standards. He was set to fight at UFC 317 earlier this year, but had to pull out of the fight because no judge would allow the removal of his court-ordered ankle monitor prior to his need to travel for the fight.
“That’s a man. I guarantee you that’s a good man that’s been through a lot in life. And I think people should just get off his back,” Johnson said.
It doesn’t get much more MMA than that.
Check out Johnson’s post-fight interview in the video above.
