Following his win over Dustin Poirier, Johnson wants to cement himself as the next lightweight No. 1 contender by taking on Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Amidst the confusion surrounding the lightweight division, Michael Johnson wants to make sure his name doesn’t get lost in the headlines.
‘The Menace’ made short work of top-ranked contender Dustin Poirier at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas at UFC Fight Night 94 last weekend, scoring his first knockout in almost three years.
Following his first round KO, Johnson called for a rematch with Nate Diaz, who beat ‘MJ’ via unanimous decision at UFC on FOX 17. Since then, however, Johnson has targeted No. 1 ranked contender Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is rumored to face Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title.
“It all points to Khabib,” Johnson told MMAjunkie Radio on Monday. “We’ve been playing back and forth about getting this fight going, and I think this is the time now, especially if they don’t give him the title shot. I know he wants to fight, and it’s been a while for him. You know I’m always down to scrap.
“Me and him in New York – or anywhere else.”
Nurmagomedov’s title shot against Alvarez isn’t set in stone, as the current LW champion has rallied hard for a fight against Conor McGregor. McGregor, it seems, is happy to comply but UFC president Dana White insists ‘The Eagle’ will challenge Alvarez instead.
For Johnson, though, the 30-year-old wants to ensure his name is in the mix when he faces his next opponent.
“I just want a big fight,” Johnson said. “I want some big money, and I want to fight for a title pretty soon.”
Johnson’s win at UFC Hidalgo catapulted him to No. 6 in the official 155-pound rankings and a bout with Khabib, at this point, would make more sense than a Alvarez-Nurmagomedov championship showdown. Despite his status, Nurmagomedov has been largely absent from competition for the past two years and his last win came against the unranked Darrell Horcher at a catchweight of 160-pounds in April.