Sherdog Prospect Watch: Charles Johnson

One of the greatest championship fights ever on UFC FIGHT PASS! #LFA122

(C) CharlesJohnson via KO in Round 5

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[ @LFAFighting on #UFCFIGHTPASS ] pic.twitter.com/SqdE9PVYrj

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) January 22, 2022

Once on the verge of being shut down, the Ultimate Fighting Championship 125-pound division thrives more than ever nowadays as it gets its latest addition, Charles Johnson. Fighting out of St. Louis, Missouri, Johnson is making his promotional debut at the upcoming UFC Fight Night 208, a.k.a. “UFC London,” where he will lock horns with Muhammad Mokaev. A former Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder, “InnerG” brings an 11-2 record to the table, while his past opponents sport a .614 winning percentage (91-57). Currently, Johnson is riding a four-bout winning streak.

Johnson adopts an aggressive fighting style, aiming to finish his foes inside the distance. The St. Charles MMA representative features a 72% finishing rate, with most of his victories coming by knockout or technical knockout. Out of 11 wins, only three were decisions. At the same time, he also showcases a certain durability. He has yet to be stopped in any of his losses, including one to mixed martial arts veteran Sean Santella.

Charles Johnson! Another impressive win! #LFA114 pic.twitter.com/wHc2TNV26h

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) August 28, 2021

Johnson spent his first couple of fights competing in the 135-pound division before dropping to flyweight. In the first part of his career, he piled up six consecutive triumphs, with only a couple of decisions in the mix. His first real test was when he faced multiple-time Cage Fury FC Flyweight Championship titleholder Santella in the PA Cage Fight 31 headliner. On that occasion, “Shorty Rock” upended his inexperienced foe on all scorecards. Johnson bounced back by stopping Andrew Kimzey 101 seconds into their LFA 42 encounter. Next, he was paired with current UFC 125-pound contender Brandon Royval at LFA 48 in September 2018, where Johnson lost another decision.

Following the stinging defeat, Johnson took a long break from MMA, focusing on boxing. The results weren’t the ones he had expected, and Johnson returned to his first love by taking on Karlee Pangilinan at LFA 100 in February 2021. On that occasion, he went to war with his opponent in a back-and-forth battle that ended with Johnson submitting his adversary thanks to an anaconda choke in the second frame. The magnificent performance was rewarded with a shot at the interim championship against Yuma Horiuchi in the LFA 110 headliner. That night, Johnson’s strategy paid off in the championship rounds, and he ultimately edged his foe thanks to a narrow split-decision victory. Subsequently, Johnson defended the interim title by crushing Joao Antonio Camilo Neto with punches at the 4:07 mark of Round 2 at LFA 114.



After the then linear titleholder Victor Altamirano vacated his championship in August 2021 to sign with the UFC, Johnson was promoted to undisputed champion. In his latest appearance, Johnson notched his second title defense in the LFA 122 main event, where he collided with Carlos Mota. The contestants put on a face-paced battle for four rounds, with both fighters mixing punches and kicks. While no one seemed to land too much damage, the situation changed after Johnson scored a big right-left combo that rocked his foe right out of the gate in the fifth stanza. “InnerG” followed up with more shots to the head until a right cross sent Mota to the canvas. Referee Mike England was forced to intervene 48 seconds into Round 5.