Demetrious Johnson explains why he deserves a seven-figure payday

Last night, in the main event of UFC on Fox 24, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson – also known as “Mighty Mouse” – defended his throne for a whopping 10th consecutive time. He did so with a third-round arm bar induced submission of experienced Brazilian jiu jitsu blackbelt Wilson Reis – a real feat in itself. With this 10th straight defense, the flyweight champion tied middleweight legend Anderson Silva’s record for the most consecutive title defenses in UFC history.

With this jaw-dropping, arm-bending, history-making submission win, Johnson solidified himself as one of the best fighters ever in mixed martial arts, and perhaps the best fighter competing at present. While these things are becoming more and more undeniable, however, Johnson has struggled to become a real, main stream star in mixed martial arts.

While Johnson is not the biggest star in the sport, he’s now hoping for big star money. In his post-fight interview with Brian Stann, the unstoppable flyweight made the call for a seven-figure payday in his next fight – something only a handful of MMA stars have ever received.

“I already told [UFC President] Dana White, I need seven figures,” Johnson said in the Octagon. 

In a followup post-fight discussion with the media, Johnson elaborated on this call for a pay boost.

Demetrious on his 7-figures: "I'm a great company guy…I'm not at home beating my wife, crashing my car, doing cocaine, all that stuff…"

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) April 16, 2017

“I’m a great company guy,” he said. “I’m not at home beating my wife, crashing my car, doing cocaine, all that stuff.” 

In this statement, Johnson seems to be partially referencing the recent troubles of former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Though Jones has never had any issues with domestic violence, he has crashed his car, and been busted for cocaine possession. Clearly, Johnson believes that the combination of his incredible dominance and his squeaky clean record warrant the kind of payday he’s chasing. We have to agree.

Do you think it’s time the seemingly unbeatable Demetrious Johnson got a seven-figure payday that reflects his dominance? Sound off, PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 4/16/2017.