Demetrious Johnson has a chance to tie the record for most title defense, and he’s eager to achieve that goal. “It’s very important,” he said on FS1’s UFC Tonight. “For every champion, after you win the belt, you want to defend it as many times as possible. I want to beat his record.”
FS1 analyst Kenny Florian explained what has help Johnson reach this level of success. “He gets opponents to respect hands first, then goes upstairs,” he said. “He’s always showing something, but is going to do something else. He’ll show strikes and then score a takedown. Some guys do one thing in the clinch, but he can really do it all. He’s an absolute beast.”
Johnson faces Wilson Reis on Saturday night on Fox. Tyron Woodley, a guest analyst on FS1 UFC Tonight, talked about his strengths. “Wilson is coming in with his crazy double-leg takedowns and the fact that we’re talking about his striking says something about his skills,” he said. “He’s really known for his submission attacks.”
Johnson said he’s looking out for Reis’s wrestling in particular, and that his size could be a factor. “He comes from a great gym,” he said. “He has great wrestling and jiu-jitsu. And he’s big for the division.”
Still, Florian believes Johnson will defeat Reis and break the record. “I think D.J. wins by decision,” he said. “I think Wilson can hang in there, but this will be a dominant performance for D.J. His dominance in the clinch will be a big factor. Wilson does his best work when he takes someone down, but I just don’t see him getting it against Johnson. I think he controls the action and gets it done.”
Woodley agrees. “I think Johnson has too many minutes in championship rounds,” he said. “The fourth and fifth rounds will definitely be his. He has way too many tools. I don’t see him being finished with a punch or submission. The well roundedness of Johnson will pose too many problems for Wilson. I think he gets the finish in the later rounds.”
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