Demetrious Johnson looking to break Silva's record; White still working on 'TUF 24'

LAS VEGAS – Is UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson unbeatable?

That seemed to be the question emerging from Saturday’s UFC 197, where Johnson (24-2-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) defended his title for the eighth time with a dominant first-round stoppage of Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC).

Even UFC President Dana White seemed unsure. Tryouts for a reality show aimed at answering that question were canceled before they even got off the ground.

“We’re working on that,” White told MMAjunkie when asked about the scuttled auditions for “The Ultimate Fighter 24,” whose winner was billed to get a flyweight title shot. “When we were doing the tryouts, we were going to see what was out there, because the big question is, who in the world can beat Demetrious Johnson?

“That’s the question. So we’re working on it.”

White wouldn’t say whether the idea of basing the show on flyweights was no longer a possibility. But at the rate Johnson is going, he is running out of credible challenges – fast.

“(UFC commentator Joe) Rogan’s been screaming for him to be the pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter in the world,” White said. “If you don’t agree with it now, I don’t even know what to tell you.

“Something needs to be done with this guy, because he’s beat everybody in the top 10, some of them more than once. We’re working on that.”

Johnson stopped Cejudo with a flurry of strikes after the midway point of the first round in the co-headliner of UFC 197, which took place at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. The bout aired live on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Despite his dominance, Johnson said he had some dicey moments in camp leading up to the fight. Even though he appeared near perfect, he said his evolution continues in the octagon.

“I don’t think I’ve hit my peak,” he said. “I went through a lot of stuff in this camp. I had a root canal; I thought I had a stomach ulcer, did testing.

“But my coaches are always pushing me to become a better martial artist. Hopefully, I get back to the gym and get my blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and keep on chugging along. This is just No. 8. When it’s time for No. 9, be humble in defeat or victory.”

Naturally, talk of his dominance led to a potential step up in weight. The only fighter to beat him in the UFC – Dominick Cruz – also holds the bantamweight title. Could a superfight now be on the horizon?

“I’ve never shied away from that fight with Cruz,” Johnson said. “I just want to make sure – My biggest goal is to break that title defense (record) of Anderson Silva, and I believe I can do it. So for me to go off and detour, it’s going to have to really make me want to do it.”

To White, the message if clear.

“That means, how much do you want to pay me, Dana?” White joked.

Johnson has made no secret of his financial demands should a superfight materialize. So far, the promotion has yet to book him in his former division, which means a $2 million payday has yet to materialize.

Johnson is fine with that. Whether he’s fighting the next flyweight title contender or the winner of a reality show, he doesn’t have much preference about who he faces next at flyweight. He said he needs little extra motivation to get ready for an opponent.

“When I truly say this is how I pay my bills, I take that very seriously,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s Henry Cejudo for the second time, or Joseph Benavidez for the third time, (John) Dodson the third. I don’t need any motivation. Last time I checked, these (fights) pay the electricity bill. So, I want to keep the lights on.”

For complete coverage of UFC 197, check out the UFC Events section of the site.