Charles Johnson had fought 11 times for the UFC since making his promotional debut in July 2022, with his bout against Lone’er Kavanagh set to be his 12th. And yet, despite competing for the world’s premiere MMA organization a dozen times, Johnson faced a harsh reality heading into UFC Fight Night 257.
According to Ariel Helwani, “Charles Johnson’s bank account went into the red this week,” leaving his manager, Brian Butler, to lend him some money as Johnson is expecting a baby “any day now.”
Suffice to say, the timing of Johnson’s devastating right hand couldn’t have been any better, with his brutal knockout of Kavanagh earning him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus following Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 257 event from Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai.
The victory over previously undefeated Kavanagh was Johnson’s fifth in his past six fights and could serve as a much-needed spring board to his career. Below is what Johnson had to say during an interview on the ESPN+ post-fight show.
Johnson’s thoughts on the victory
“Good. If you can see it, you can do it. I wrote all this out. I journaled it 89 days ago, worked the plan, and exactly what I thought would happen (happened). I knew there was going to be some turbulence the first round. I knew there was going to be some adversity. That’s what happened when you fight somebody that’s undefeated, confident.”
Johnson on weathering the storm in the UFC
“This right hand hurts. 2023, it was hurting the entire year after I beat Jimmy Flick. I had to throw elbows against Ode’ (Osbourne), and I turned around and fought Cody Durden immediately after that. I was never fully healthy until I fought (Rafael) Estevam. Estevam, I kind of gave up the first round-and-a-half because of jiu-jitsu positioning things. It was a very frustrating year for me in 2023. But in 2024, I had all camps. I had time. I was healthy. I hurt Azat Maksum and almost finished him late. I knocked down Jake Hadley, I knocked out Joshua Van, and I arguably had a TKO against Su Mudaerji in the second round, which was a great fight, as well. My last fight was a hiccup, but I was trending the same way. This right hand hurts. I can knock down anyone with it, but both hands hurt now. I’m a consummate professional. I’m always drilling. I’m always training. So I’m just very excited where I am in my career right now. I’m rounding out a lot of things. I’m continuing getting better.”
Johnson on what he wants next
“I would love to fight Tagir Ulanbekov, somebody in the top 10, if he has something scheduled or not. But really it’s up to Mick Maynard. Whatever puts me into title contention. I know I’ve got to win at least one more. Then, we can have a serious conversation about a top-five. My ultimate goal is to win a belt here. I’d love to fight a former champion like Brandon Moreno. I think that would be a significant challenge for me that I’d love to meet. I fought Brandon Royval in LFA. I wouldn’t mind rematching him. If things go sour for Joshua Van, I don’t mind rematching him, as well. I’m really not opposed to fighting anyone. I just want to fight. I want to have the opportunity to fight contenders and get to a belt, which I feel like I’ve earned. Five of my last six fights were wins.”
