It’s a trait that has served the 16-year MMA veteran well for the most part as it has helped him stand out from the crowd, which is of great value when you’re in the thick of the UFC’s deep lightweight division. But it has also put him directly at odds with his employers, including company president Dana White, and that conflict has threatened to overshadow his in-cage accomplishments.
Johnson is currently the interim vice president of Project Spearhead, one of the fighter-led organizations seeking to establish a more even playing field in negotiations between the UFC’s athletes and their employer.