“If you can walk away from this sport for whatever reason, to me that shows a sign of your ability to give up on something,” Johnson said. “I can never walk away from the sport until I really decide to retire, so I feel like there may be mental weakness there, but I don’t know. We won’t know until we’re in the cage and I feel it. I’m very good at reading those things.”
Johnson understands what it is like to be away from the action. He spent two years away from the Octagon due to the pandemic and being in Thailand, but once he started competing again it was like he never left.
“My first fight (back) I hit the ground running and I didn’t have any issues,” Johnson said. “I was able to get in there because I had been training, because I had got plenty of looks, plenty of rounds and just stayed active. I think if you aren’t active here, you’ll be rusty. If you aren’t working on your timing, you’ll be rusty.”
On Saturday night, Johnson doesn’t believe he has anything to prove, he is just excited to get back to fighting and continuing to show who he is as a fighter.
“I’m great everywhere and people will be able to see that. For me, it’s just about attacking this fight, put him on his back foot and enjoying what I’m doing. Starting fast, finishing quicker, getting the fight over with.”
