UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson took home the ESPY for “Best Fighter,” beating out fellow MMA fighter Conor McGregor and a host of others.
However, the UFC fighter didn’t give the victory speech he wanted to, which the champion describes as a presidential-like speech.
“It’s awesome to win, but I just really wanted to get on stage and get that airtime like all the other athletes did,” Johnson said on The MMA Hour. “I never got a chance to go up there and give a f*cking presidential speech, like I’m running for president, be able to speak and thank the fans and the trainers and everyone who voted. It was a little unsettling, but I think a lot of guys who win the ESPYs and all that shit don’t even get a chance to go up there and speak so, I mean, motherf*cker you swim what, once every four f*cking years? I fight three times a year so I’m a little upset about that, but you know, homey on the left of me had an ESPY I didn’t know who the f*ck he was and I was like, well, I was glad I got to hear your speech, but it is what it is.”
Johnson is returning to action at UFC 215, where he has a chance to break the record for most successful title defenses.
Even though the champion and the UFC have been having their issues as of late, that didn’t stop the promotion and its stars from giving the champion some props for his ESPY win.
“[The UFC] sent me a text that said ‘congratulations, that’s a big deal, the ESPYs,’” Johnson said. “... I love representing my company. So Conor texted me, a lot of the fighters texted me, ‘DC’ and ‘Cowboy’ and all those guys texted me. It’s always good to be recognized among the company and among the other champions and the fighters.”
UFC 215 takes place on Saturday, September 9 from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with Demetrious Johnson and Ray Borg headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
