The life and career of a regional MMA fighter are often not the most glamorous and UFC flyweight Charles Johnson has opened up on the struggles he had in the past on his way to the top.
Johnson, 33, picked up his fifth UFC win dramatically at UFC Denver on July 13 and shared his emotional thoughts after the fact on social media. The flyweight opened up on the struggles he faced before signing with the UFC and during his recent losing streak before breaking through as a potential darkhorse contender.
UFC Flyweight Charles Johnson Sheds Light on Financial Struggles Before UFC Career
From homeless, to 3 jobs grinding, next to nothing in my account, scraping to get bare necessities of life, to 6 figures.
Dreamt and willed this life to fruition. No hater, opinion, or person will stand in the way of what is already written.
Thank God daily, then get to work! pic.twitter.com/Oh9mdv6az4
— Charles "InnerG" Johnson (@innerGmma_ufc) July 17, 2024
Four days after his comeback upset win over Joshua Van at UFC Denver, UFC flyweight Charles Johnson admitted to how much the win meant to him in his life. With an emotional tweet, ‘InnerG’ reflected on his life as recently as 2022 struggling with “homelessness” and being forced to work “three jobs” before breaking through in the UFC.
Johnson tweeted:
From homeless to 3 jobs grinding, next to nothing in my bank account [and] scraping to get the bare necessities of life, to 6-figures. Dreamt and willed this life to fruition. No hater, opinion, or person will stand in the way of what is already written. Thank God daily, then get to work!
Beneath the text in his tweet, Johnson included screenshots that showed $6.60 in his savings account in 2022, just three months before making his UFC debut.
UFC Flyweight Charles Johnson’s Comeback Win Over Joshua Van
Charles Johnson’s ode to his career success on the heels of a signature win over Joshua Van perfectly sums up the journey of his career. Since making his Octagon debut against Muhammad Mokaev at UFC London in 2022, Johnson has fought nine times in two years, averaging a fight every 2.6 months.
Johnson knocked out Van in the third round of their preliminary matchup at UFC Denver, handing the 22-year-old the first loss of his career. However, the fight was not always trending in his direction, as he was seemingly down on the scorecards entering the final frame.
In his corner in between the second and third rounds, Johnson’s coaches advised him to empty the tank, assuming their fighter needed a finish. The St. Louis native immediately complied, clipping Van roughly 15 seconds into the round with a right hand before following up with an uppercut that put his young counterpart down and out.
Charles Johnson’s Three-Fight Win Streak to Save His Job
The win over Joshua Van extended Charles Johnson’s current win streak to three but it was not too long ago that the former boxer was fighting for his job. Just five months before walking out to the Octagon in the Ball Arena, Johnson faced undefeated prospect Azat Maksum at UFC Vegas 85.
As per usual, Johnson entered that fight as the underdog but weighted his entire career on his shoulders. Had he lost, the defeat would have been his fourth consecutive, which typically signals the end of a fighter’s UFC career. Instead, Johnson once again weathered an early storm before pouring it on Maksum in the final two rounds to win the first fight of his current win streak.
After his win over Van, Johnson called for the UFC to put him in their divisional rankings, though that request was not granted at the most recent update. But with how he has sped through matchups with most of the unranked fighters in the UFC flyweight division, a ranked opponent is likely next for him if he can wait that long.
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