Demetrious Johnson suffers serious injuries from UFC 227 title-fight loss to Henry Cejudo #UFC #MMA #UFC227
LOS ANGELES – Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson believes he tore his lateral collateral ligament in the second or third round of his fight against Henry Cejudo.
Johnson (27-3-1 MMA, 15-2-1 UFC) also believes he broke his foot repeatedly kicking Cejudo during their five-round title fight, which Cejudo (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) took via split decision in the pay-per-view co-headliner of UFC 227 at Staples Center.
“I remember we were scrambling, and I maybe shot, and then he kind of pushed me over, and I rolled over my right knee, and I felt the pop, and I was like, ‘There goes the right LCL – fantastic,” Johnson said during the post-event press conference. “And the foot was just from kicking and kicking and kicking.”
Johnson took his loss to new champ Cejudo in stride, noting he’s previously suffered losses in competition. But he couldn’t help but chafe at his luck inside the octagon and believes he wasn’t fairly judged on the scorecards.
“The stand-up numbers, I think I outstruck him,” Johnson said. “But it happens. I don’t think the judges know how to score leg kicks.”
With that said, Johnson clarified that the fight could have gone either way. It’s for that reason he wants an immediate rematch, though he’s not clamoring to do it right away.
“It wasn’t like he blew me out of the water,” Johnson said. “First thing’s first. I’m not going to be like, ‘Ah, I want a rematch.’ I need to get healthy first. My health is No. 1, and I’m not going to sign a contract if I can’t get through eight weeks of training camp.”
Demetrious Johnson details serious injuries from UFC 227 title-fight loss to Henry CejudoJohnson said he’ll undergo an MRI for his knee and foot and reassess the situation. So too will UFC President Dana White, who declined to commit to an immediate rematch – or any other proposal – for the new flyweight champion.
“That’s a possibility, too,” White said.
Johnson stressed that his first loss in seven years didn’t represent the bookend of a career that saw him dominate the flyweight division with an iron fist, in the process setting the record for most consecutive title defenses at 11.
Instead, it offered an opportunity for growth and improvement. When Johnson heals, he’ll get started on that process.
“It was a great streak, and it’s not over yet,” Johnson said before pushing himself to his feet with a grunt.
For complete coverage of UFC 227, check out the UFC Events section of the site.