Morning Report: Demetrious Johnson responds to Belal Muhammad, compares self to Tom Brady: ‘You just got to the f*cking dance’
Demetrious Johnson caught some strays from the new UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad after UFC 304 in July.
Going into the promotion’s return to Manchester, England, the former champion Leon Edwards was a decent favorite at -298 odds in the Muhammad rematch. At times, it felt like Muhammad, the +240 underdog, was never going to get his long-awaited title shot no matter how many fights he won in a row.
It was always inevitable to the Chicago native that he’d become a world champion. So, while the unanimous decision get-back victory over “Rocky” was no surprise to him, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t for others.
Predicting the fight during fight week, fighters like former champions Kamaru Usman, Alexander Volkanovski, and Johnson doubted “Remember the Name.” Those first two quickly responded to Muhammad. Both of which are open to fighting Muhammad. Yes, the former featherweight champion will take on anyone. However, the record-holding 11-time flyweight title-defending “Mighty Mouse” recently stood his ground as well.
“He didn’t agree with my analysis, which is fine. He said I suck,” Johnson laughed on JAXXON PODCAST. “When I analyze a fight, it’s just like — could you imagine Tom Brady, he’s one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time, multiple Super Bowl rings. As you look at me, if I was to compare myself to Tom Brady, I have 15 world title fights, successful victories. Where he’s had, what? Six Super Bowl rings? Seven?
“Obviously, the game is going to change over time, but he’s an analyst now. So, he’s gonna give his thoughts of what this quarterback should do. Now, if the quarterback goes, ‘Nah, I wouldn’t have done that.’ Then he can go, ‘Well, I would have done that.’ Then people are gonna look at him like, ‘Okay, Tom Brady has six f*ckin’ Super Bowl rings, you haven’t even won one yet. You just got to the f*ckin’ dance.’ I think people are going to side with — not saying Tom Brady is right, but he’s gonna have more pull than the other person.”
Johnson, 38, is effectively semi-retired at this stage in his career as the ONE Championship 135-pound flyweight champion. The all-time great has noted that he isn’t officially retired just yet but has no interest in any MMA fights right now.
This past weekend, Johnson competed in the blackbelt ranks of the IBJJF World Masters Championships, winning his way to the finals in his first three matches before suffering an armbar loss to Tomoya Yanagisawa.
Demetrious Johnson is Submitted in His 4th Match at the 2024 IBJJF World Masters.
— Lock-In Jiu-Jitsu (@lockinjiujitsu) August 31, 2024
“Mighty Mouse” Put Up an Impressive Performance Making His Black Belt Debut.
@MightyMouse @ibjjf pic.twitter.com/ctWer7YyFi
TOP STORIES
Recap. DWCS Season 8, Week 4 results: Outrageous knockout among five contracts awarded by Dana White
$$$. Renan Ferreira: Francis Ngannou ‘has my respect’ for negotiating $2 million pay for PFL opponents
Reflection. Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals ‘it was my plan’ to make Dustin Poirier go for guillotine to set up finish
Crazy. Alex Pereira willing to cut ‘one more time’ to middleweight to face Dricus du Plessis; ‘DDP’ responds
Confidence. Jake Paul says there’s no back-up opponent for ‘thick and strong’ Mike Tyson on Nov. 15
Veteran. Joe Lauzon: ‘Probably likely that I won’t fight again’ but still not retiring from UFC
LET’S WATCH
MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Alex K. Lee react to Alex Pereira teasing a return to middleweight.
Sound & Pound.
UFC Journey: Burns vs. Brady.
Jamahal Hill’s contract-earning moment.
Full fights.
Durinho fight week.
O’Malley the Cardinal.
Poatan down under.
MORNING MUSIC
Go to Twitter, use the #MorningReport hashtag, or find one of my tweets with it, and drop me a jam you’re currently really into. I’ll pick the best one alongside my daily choice and give you a shoutout! You can also share in the comments below — those are just harder to sift through sometimes!
This month’s full playlist:
SOCIAL SCROLL DOWN
Oh.
@AlexPereiraUFC you and you boyfriend @SStricklandMMA can have a domestic dispute on who gets slept first
— Dricus Du Plessis (@dricusduplessis) September 3, 2024
Turmoil.
You are so weak @AlexPereiraUFC you only pick on the guys who are in lower division than you and you think you can beat them people are not stupid there is a reason why you are fighting Khalil and not me https://t.co/8rhBH18kre
— Magomed Ankalaev (@AnkalaevM) September 3, 2024
Shadow realm.
WHAT A KNOCKOUT!
— UFC (@ufc) September 4, 2024
Yuneisy Duben just delivered one of the best KOs we've ever seen on #DWCS! pic.twitter.com/LxJlbPLtjf
Yuneisy Duben was a +1000 Underdog tonight and came in like a BEAST with one of the nastiest KO’s in #DWCS History and the biggest upset in the show’s history in 1:13 of the first round. I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!! pic.twitter.com/3ikOMkCjzp
— danawhite (@danawhite) September 4, 2024
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) September 4, 2024
Make the fight.
18 fighters before you tried, and I finished them all. Meanwhile, in 18 UFC fights, you’ve only finished 3 opponents. The UFC belt doesn’t give you superpowers, brother, it just seems to have made you delusional. https://t.co/Z4v7jeFw6c
— Shavkat “Nomad” Rakhmonov (@Rakhmonov1994) September 3, 2024
Deals.
Just signed a new 4 fight deal with the @UFC! See you in Vegas this weekend!
— Cody Durden (@Cody_Durden) September 3, 2024
Packing my bags now, no cornerman. Just my wife and I. Fuck it, this is what I was born to do.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Matt Schnell (16-8) vs. Cody Durden (16-6-1); UFC Vegas 97, Sept. 7
Édgar Cháirez (11-5) vs. Joshua Van (10-2); Noche UFC, Sept. 14
Bruno Silva (23-11) vs. Ismail Naurdiev (23-7); UFC 308, Oct. 26
Brandon Moreno (21-8-2) vs. Amir Albazi (17-1); UFC Edmonton, Nov. 2
FINAL THOUGHTS
Natty Ice fight weeks are the best fight weeks. Excited for the one-two punch atop UFC Vegas 97, which is a great thing to be able to say. I’m curious to see how you guys are feeling about the predictions below.
Thanks for reading!
EXIT POLL
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