By Jason Kelly www.twitter.com/jaykaymmaWhen DaMarques Johnson is not training or fighting, he takes advantage of life’s guilty pleasures.
“I drink a beer with every single meal I eat,” Johnson told Joe Rizzo on Rear Naked Choke Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “I’ve been eating lots of ice cream and barbecue and hot wings, but it’s only going to be for a week.”
Johnson admits that he has one “fat week” after he fights and then it’s back to training as usual.
“I’ll be back in the gym on Monday and (press) the mental reset button, and then we’ll just start grinding away,” said Johnson.
The UFC welterweight does the core of his training in Utah at Elite Performance with a guy who has a plethora of MMA experience, Jeremy Horn. Utah would not be a place that jumps into most people’s minds when they think about MMA, but Johnson believes he is in a good place.
“The fight scene in Utah is a respectable group of guys,” Johnson said. “We got guys (like) Josh Burkman, Brandon Melendez, Nick Rossborough, and Sean O’Connell. We’re not like Vegas, (but) Jeremy is out here and we get guys travelling through like Rich Franklin, Joe Riggs, and Joe Doerksen. (We get) a lot of tough guys, (even) Matt Hughes.”
Johnson commends Utah for covering MMA on a local level, as well as a professional level.
“There was a weekly T.V. show that I was on for a while that would air all the local fights,” Johnson told Rizzo. “There’s a market for (MMA) in Utah. When I was coming up the through the ranks I got eight fights in six months (and) the Utah commission is great, they have a good crew and they run a tight ship.”
The UFC planned an event in Utah last August, but the event, planned for a Sunday, was moved to San Diego due to a lack of ticket sales. Johnson was scheduled to fight on that card and he has faith the opportunity will come again.
“I’m sure that the UFC will come back to Salt Lake City,” he assured, noting that Sunday planning was the worst possible scenario for the area.
Johnson is coming off a submission victory over Mike Guymon that took place at UFC Fight for the Troops 2. Preparations for Johnson’s battle with Guymon found the Utah-based fighter travelling to Power MMA and Fitness in Arizona. It was there that Johnson got the opportunity to train with some of the UFC’s highest-tier wrestlers.
“It was fun to go there and pick their brains as far as wrestling goes,” Johnson admitted. “I plan to go back there again and sharpen up some skills and help those guys the best I can. (I want) to get some wrestling from guys like (Ryan) Bader, (Aaron) Simpson, and (C.B.) Dollaway.”
Listen to Bader and Johnson on Rear Naked Choke Radio
Johnson applied a tight body triangle and unwittingly broke one of Guymon’s ribs during their scrap, causing the fight to come to a halt. Though Johnson is happy about winning the fight, he is not exactly thrilled with the quirky ending.“I kind of submitted him by accident,” Johnson confessed. “It wasn’t like I was applying a submission to win the fight, I was trying to control position the best I (could) and look for another submission, (then) the fight ended. I didn’t even get to do anything, that’s kind of why I was bummed out.”
Following the fight, Guymon said that he plans to retire from the sport of MMA, but will still have a hand in training fighters. Johnson praised Guymon for his accomplishments in MMA and the person he is outside the sport.
“I see small bits and pieces of myself in a guy like Mike Guymon,” Johnson said. “Just a fun, care-free guy that loves what he does. He’s been around the sport a real long time. Honestly, that’s how I hope to go as far as being around the sport (and) accomplishing everything I would like to accomplish in this sport. And when it’s time to be done, it’s time to be done.”
Johnson’s fight with Guymon at Fort Hood, near Killeen, Tex., took place in front of military personnel from all over the country. Johnson was pleased to provide some entertainment for the troops, but he was disappointed that he could not spend an ample amount of time with them.
“(When) I’m getting ready for a fight, I don’t go out much,” he admitted. “I went out and signed autographs and took pictures (as much) as I could the day of the fight, but I didn’t get to interact that much”
Soldiers often are away from home for holidays and special family moments, and that resonates with Johnson. He understands the sacrifices that must be made to be a part of the military. Being a part of this event is something the jiu-jitsu blue belt is proud of.
“I know what it’s like to be away from home,” Johnson explained. “You don’t get to go home for the holidays, it wears on you and it makes life suck a little bit. It’s nice to have that outlet and it was one of those things I am grateful to be a part of.”
Johnson immediately noticed a difference between the usual UFC crowds and the military audience.
“It was a real positive energy leading up to the fight,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s mingling with soldiers may have been limited, but the post-competition interaction the former TUF finalist had with the troops is what excited him.
“After my fight, when I was drinking beer with all the troops, that was awesome,” Johnson told Rizzo. “It was gangster, I loved it. I was just as much a fan as they were. It got to the point where I don’t know who was buying what, but I know I bought my fair share of drinks. I definitely got some Joe’s toasty.”
Aside from Johnson fighting in the UFC’s complimentary event for the women and men serving the country, his fight was also broadcast live via Facebook’s UFC fan page. The endeavor was the first of its kind and it appeared to have been a success. Johnson is glad it was successful, but to him it does not matter where the fight is shown.
“Whether it was on TV or Facebook or the prelims, it still would have been fighting Mike Guymon, punching me in the face,” Johnson said. “It is definitely a marketable way to go about it, (and) a smart business move by the UFC.”
Johnson improved his UFC record to 3-2 with his victory, giving him a 12-8 career mark. Now, the 28-year old Johnson is awaiting the UFC’s next proposal and focusing on becoming a better fighter so that he can continue to fight in the Octagon. Let’s hope the offer comes sooner than later, so we can enjoy Johnson’s hilarious weigh-in displays and, more importantly, his fights.
In the mean time, it’s back to Fat Week.
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