Anthony Johnson: 'It ain't my fault people get in the way whenever I throw a punch'
Anthony Johnson has a reputation as one of the most lethal strikers to ever step foot in the UFC Octagon.
He holds the record for the most sub one-minute knockouts in UFC history (4) and he's tied for third all time for overall knockouts (10).
In other words, Johnson is a walking human highlight reel but he has some pretty simple advice to his opponents to avoid becoming another notch on his growing resume of victims.
"I just go out there and have fun and do my best. I just do me," Johnson told FOX Sports recently.
All joking aside, Johnson prides himself on always putting on entertaining fights and that's part of the reason he has so many knockouts on his record.
The last thing Johnson wants to see whenever he's competing in the UFC are fans getting up from their seats and walking away because they aren't getting a show inside the cage.
He wants every person in the arena to be wide-eyed and mouth-gaped whenever he performs and the only reason they come unglued from their seats is because Johnson just rocketed home another awe-inspiring knockout.
"Hopefully I keep you guys entertained. That's something I don't want to do — I don't want to be boring," Johnson said. "I don't want make the ratings go down. I don't want you guys to leave your seats to go to the bathroom and get popcorn or something. I want everybody to stay in their seats and watch me fight.
"I go out there and I just fight hard and whatever happens, happens."
That attitude has not only made Johnson a record setter in the UFC, but it's also managed to turn him into one of the top light heavyweights in the sport.
Johnson has gone 5-1 in his career at 205 pounds in the UFC with four knockouts out of those five wins. Another victory on Saturday night over Glover Teixeira might grant Johnson the chance to avenge the lone blemish on that record after falling to Daniel Cormier last May.
As much as Johnson believes a second crack at Cormier could be awaiting him with a win at UFC 202, he refuses to look past Teixeira because that's essentially the easiest way to invite another defeat to creep onto his record.
"Yeah I'm not looking past Glover at all. I'm looking directly at Glover," Johnson said. "I don't doubt him, I'm not taking him for granted. Glover's a hell of a fighter. We've seen him knock people out, the man's got bricks in his hands. So he's game. He's a game fighter.
"I watched him before he even got in the UFC. I remember watching the "Tapout" show when he knocked out my boy Jorge Oliveira with one punch. I knew who Glover was before 90-percent of the community knew who he was. I'm looking forward to the fight. It's going to be a great fight."
For all the compliments Johnson showers on Teixeira, he still knows that this is his fight to win and he's got all the tools to add another spectacular finish to his record.
If the veteran Brazilian challenger makes the same mistake those other 10 fighters made, Johnson is happy to make Teixeira No. 11 and the latest highlight to add to the reel.
"Oh, hell yeah. Man, he don't move, he knows he'll go to sleep," Johnson said about Teixeira. "I know the same thing for me. I'm not stupid.
"We're two high-level fighters. We're going to play smart but we're going to fight hard."
