“It’s just really cool to be an inspiration,” said Johnson. “My son always tells me, ‘You don’t got to go out there and win; it’s just really cool to say my dad goes out there.’ And I know what he really means; he’s just too young to put it into words. He’s basically saying that he’s proud of me, and those are reasons to motivate me in fights and keep going. Because that last fight I had on the Contender Series, I was tired. It was a fast-paced fight and in that last round, I could just hear him saying that.”
His son’s voice got him through the tough-three rounder with Cartwright, making it three wins in a row for a fighter who once possessed a less than glossy 6-5 pro record. And once he got the UFC contract he had been fighting for, it was an example to his kids to never give up on a dream.
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“It’s important to lead by example, and not necessarily just in sports,” Johnson said. “That’s a huge life lesson. If life knocks you down, or you lose a job and you don’t know why, or just any tragic thing that can happen to you, there’s more to life. And don’t give up just because you didn’t make it the first time or the second time or the third time.”
