Las Vegas — It certainly feels as if the UFC is getting behind Donte Johnson, early in his fledgling career with the promotion.
After picking up a submission over SD Dumas on the preliminary portion of a Fight Night card, he finds himself on the televised (that’s broadcast network televised, not just Paramount+) portion of UFC 326, a numbered event.
He even got the media day treatment on Wednesday.
“It seems that way, doesn’t it? It definitely seems that way, it seems that way so I’m thankful,” Johnson told media outlets including Cageside Press during the UFC 326 media day in Las Vegas.
Queried as to why he’s getting this push, “I feel what they see in me is a perfect piece to the puzzle. Obviously nothing’s perfect, but the way I fight, and the way I carry myself. They see the potential, so I’m grateful. I’m grateful.”
After all, Johnson’s fighting style is exactly what the company wants to see. At 7-0, he’s undefeated with a 100% finish rate. Six knockouts, one submission.
“You know what the fans want, they want violence, and they want finishes. And that’s just naturally how I fight. Naturally, my mentality is, get in there and get it over with. And that’s not going to change.”
Johnson was originally paired up with Dusko Todorovic this Saturday. Instead, he gets Cody Brundage, a fighter who has had some weird luck over the past couple of years. There was a No Contest against Abdul Razak Alhassan, the result of illegal blows to the back of the head. More recently, a decision loss to Mansur Abdul-Malik was overturned by the Georgia Athletic Commission, who ruled that incomplete rounds cannot be scored under their ruleset. The third round had not gone the distance due to an accidental clash of heads; the fight now stands as a majority draw.
Donte Johnson didn’t balk at the switch, despite Brundage having a bit of a cloud following him around.
“I’m just happy the fight was still on. My manager, Jason House, he called me and we actually laugh about it all the time, because he’ll hit me, and I’ll give him the answer in 10 seconds.” Most fighters, he noted, check with their coaches first. Not him. “We’re gonna take this fight, because that’s what we’re here to do. As soon as he gave me that name, let’s run it.”
Johnson is a very spiritual fighter, and told Cageside Press what it means to be a “Warrior of God.”
“Everything. Everything. Cause it makes things simple. It makes things simple when life or the devil tries to come through to try and confuse you with doubt or fear; it’s nice to know that God let me know what my purpose here on Earth is. Not really who I am, but my duty here on Earth. Which is to show the world, and to be a warrior of God in heart and spirit, and to carry that diligently, with integrity and to please God ultimately.”
Watch the full UFC 326 media day appearance with Donte Johnson above.