UFC champ Demetrious Johnson says tying Anderson Silva's record would be 'just a stepping stone'

LOS ANGELES – It’s fight week for Demetrious Johnson, which means the UFC flyweight champion is now officially on the cusp of history.

Beat Wilson Reis at UFC on FOX 24, and “Mighty Mouse” will join Anderson Silva as the only fighters to ever reach 10 consecutive UFC title defenses. But for Johnson (25-2-1 MMA, 13-1-1 UFC), it won’t exactly be history-making if he defeats Reis (22-6 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and gets to 10. It’s what happens afterward that truly matters to him.

“Ten is just a stepping stone. The ultimate goal is 11,” Johnson said Monday during a media luncheon. “It’s like Floyd Mayweather when he got to 49-0. Why would you stop there? You can easily get to 50-0 and be the only fighter to ever do it. No, I’m going past 10; my goal is to go past 10.”

UFC on FOX 24 takes place Saturday at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., with Johnson-Reis as the headliner. The main card airs on FOX following prelims on FOX and UFC Fight Pass.

It’ll be a decade later this month since Johnson made his professional debut, which ended in a 17-second knockout victory. He recalls the time in his life when he worked construction full time while balancing training and amateur fights on the weekends. Now he’s the champ and pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter in the word, married with two young sons.

Maybe that’s why, as Johnson finds himself on the brink of a history-making victory, which it will be even if he doesn’t think so, he feels no pressure. He’s already come so far.

“Let’s say I go out there Saturday, and I’m not successful. I’ve far exceeded my expectations to when I got into this sport,” Johnson said. “You hear these fighters all the time, ‘I was destined to do this; it’s my destiny.’ How the (expletive) do you know what you’re destiny is? You’re only 25 years old. You don’t even have any kids. … When people talk about this destiny stuff, OK, that’s their fill.”

But not Johnson’s. And win or lose, it’s apparent he’ll be all right after Saturday. Just don’t mistake his evolved thinking for a lack of motivation.

“Here I am, I’ve got the belt. Like I said, I far exceeded my expectations,” Johnson said. “I’m very happy with my career, and I’m looking forward to keep on building more things to exceed my expectations.”

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