Demetrious Johnson not happy regarding lack of ESPY speech

This year, UFC flyweight kingpin Demetrious Johnson won the ESPY award for Fighter of the Year after successfully defending his flyweight championship against Henry Cejudo at UFC 197, and against Tim Elliot at the TUF 24 Finale.

Unfortunately for Demetrious Johnson, who beat out UFC superstar Conor McGregor, and boxers Gennady Golovkin, Terence Crawford, and Andre Ward, after winning the award he didn’t get the opportunity to give a speech.

The flyweight kingpin, and arguable pound for pound kingpin, spoke on The MMA Hour to discuss the situation:

“It’s awesome to win, but I just really wanted to get on stage and get that airtime like all the other athletes did,”

“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,” Johnson said. “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.”

“I was happy, but deep down I was a little frustrated, because I think every athlete out there wants to go out there, especially on the ESPYs,” Johnson said. “ESPYs are not something to take lightly, I’m very honored in the best fighter of the year, Triple G, Andre Ward, Conor McGregor, me, and I think they should have done more. I think the ESPYs doesn’t really cater to fighting in general, mixed martial arts. All they had at the ESPYs was football soccer, baseball, all the other sports. I’m like, dude, this is the fastest growing sport in the world.”

on 7/20/2017.