Demetrious Johnson recently criticized the UFC‘s decision to award Diego Lopes another featherweight title shot over Lerone Murphy. Johnson expressed frustration with the promotion and believes their decision-making lacks merit and favors popularity.
Dana White‘s announcement for UFC 325, which confirmed Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against Lopes, was criticized. The bout is a rematch of their title fight at UFC 314, which saw Volkanovski earned a unanimous decision victory.
Lopes later headlined last year’s Noche UFC card, earning an impressive win over Jean Silva. However, many fans felt the win did not justify a title shot over contenders like Murphy and Movsar Evloev.
Johnson was among those critics and did not hold back when Murphy appeared on his MIGHTYcast. The former flyweight champion said that awarding title shots without merit sets a bad precedent.
“Are we doing this for popularity, or are we doing this because somebody’s better? That’s where I like to question the legitimacy of this thing we call a sport,” he said. “It’s not a sport, it’s pick and choose and I’m going to push this athlete because he has a market that I want to infiltrate.”
He added:
“I think as a fan of the sport or the entertainment value or organization, a lot of people just don’t understand the [UFC’s] thinking.”
Demetrious Johnson Not Upset with Diego Lopes for Accepting UFC Title Shot
Demetrious Johnson also made it clear that he is not upset with Diego Lopes for accepting the UFC featherweight title shot. Instead, ‘Mighty Mouse’ directed his frustration toward the matchmakers.
Johnson believes that title shots should be earned by fighters who clearly establish themselves as top contenders. He feels there should be more emphasis on winning streaks and the quality of opponents. This approach, he said, ensures UFC champions face the best fighters in the division.
“Me having my thoughts and wondering why Diego got [the title shot] over Lerone Murphy is not me talking [expletive] or me being upset. It’s me questioning the [UFC] matchmakers,” he said on his MIGHTYcast episode.
Johnson said while Silva is a legitimate opponent, he questioned whether the win should earn Lopes No. 1 contender status.
“Was that a No. 1 [contender fight] when [Lopes] and [Silva] fought? I’m not sure. Jean Silva was on a win streak as well, so if he beat Diego Lopes, would that have got him a [title] fight?” Johnson said. “[Lopes] had [his] opportunity to fight for the belt. [He] lost. It was 4-1, I think everybody feels comfortable saying that, I felt Alex Volkanovski won that fight in dominant fashion.”
He continued:
“Lopes goes off and beats [Silva]. He gets rocked there, it was a back-and-forth fight. It was a war. It’s one fight and he gets the opportunity to have another title shot.”
Johnson Questions Why Lerone Murphy Was Passed Over
Johnson also expressed his interest in understanding why Lerone Murphy was passed over in favor of Lopes. He questioned whether Murphy’s 17-0-1 record was fully considered.
Murphy is coming off an impressive 1st round knockout win over former Bellator star Aaron Pico at UFC 319. He entered the fight with a lot to lose, especially since Pico was making his UFC debut.
“When you look at somebody with your record and what you’ve been able to do in your career in the UFC, it’s almost like it doesn’t give it any substance,” Johnson said. “Does that win streak mean anything?”
Demetrious Johnson Doesn’t Hold Back on UFC Featherweight Title Controversy