MJ has become a staple in the UFC lightweight division, and one of the best pure strikers in mixed martial arts today. He trains out of Florida with former Blackzilian's head striking coach Henri Hooft. The Dutch Kickboxing coach is a legend in combat sports, and he brought all his best students to his new facility in South Florida. Johnson has the benefit of sparring with the most elite strikers in the world: online footage has surfaced of 'Menace' throwing down with Nieky Holzken (Former GLORY Kickboxing Welterweight Tournament Champion) and Robin Van Roosmalen (Former GLORY Featherweight and Lightweight Champion), and training with those warriors everyday can only sharpen him.
Johnson has always struggled with grappling in the cage, but his pressure fighting and immaculate counter punching has made him an absolute threat to everyone on the feet. MJ's style is fully accustomed to pure striking over three rounds, any fighter willing to stand with Johnson for the full fifteen minutes will be making a tremendously costly oversight to his skill. The likes of Dustin Poirier and Gleison Tibau both underestimated the punching power of Johnson by rushing him early: this plunged them both into a state of unconsciousness from a few well placed counters.
This accurate hitter has a great fearlessness in the Octagon, and he will pressure any man unwilling to trade blows. A few losses to the world's elite in Khabib and Nate Diaz shouldn't be looked at too glaringly, Edson Barboza is ranked higher than Johnson and he lost to him no more than four fights ago. This is a sport of 'moments', and 'The Menace' has risen to the occasion countless times when it has mattered the most...
