UFC Fight Night 162: Maia vs. Askren - Predictions and Picks

#4 Michael Johnson vs. Stevie Ray

Michael Johnson is looking for a win in his return to 155lbs

I’m surprised the UFC hasn’t positioned this one in the semi-main event as Michael Johnson has main evented shows before and is a known commodity, but really it doesn’t matter too much.

Last time we saw ‘The Menace’ was in his odd fight with Josh Emmett. The pace was relatively slow but there was no doubt Johnson was picking Emmett apart using his speed and movement – until ‘The Grim Reaper’ landed a huge shot on him to knock him silly.

It was a bad loss for Johnson – enough to send him back up to 155lbs – but really he didn’t look bad in the fight, he simply got caught. For me this is a good chance for him to bounce back as I feel like he’s one step ahead of the tough Scotsman Ray in basically every area.

Ray has been around a long time – he’s been fighting professionally since 2010 and debuted in the UFC back in 2015, going on a strong run of 5-1 before a loss to Paul Felder derailed any hopes he had of making it into a ranked position. A contract dispute followed before Ray returned in 2018, but since then he’s only gone 1-2, and was most recently KO’d by grappler Leonardo Santos.

The best word to describe Ray would be “workmanlike”. He’s not the best wrestler in the 155lbs division nor is he the best striker, he doesn’t hit remarkably hard and he isn’t incredibly fast, but he’s tough, can take a shot and puts everything together well with some strong cardio.

For me though, that won’t be enough to take him past Johnson. The TUF veteran is somewhat chinny and definitely inconsistent – meaning Ray has a puncher’s chance here – but at his best, he’s one of the most fleet-footed strikers in the division, even taking the fight to Khabib Nurmagomedov standing before he fell victim to the inevitable takedown.

And it’s not just speed that Johnson has, either. He throws his combinations from sneaky angles, cutting inside to deliver rapid punches that land with impressive power, too – as Dustin Poirier found out when Johnson knocked him out in 2016.

Johnson can be drawn into a brawl – another weakness that’s stopped him becoming a title contender – but only foes who draw heavily on emotion, like Justin Gaethje and Nate Diaz, have been able to get that from him.

In the end I see this one going a lot like Johnson’s wins over Artem Lobov and Gleison Tibau – ‘The Menace’ simply darting in and out to pick off a slower opponent while avoiding Ray’s counter-strikes. It might not be without a scare or two, particularly if Ray can catch him cleanly, but unless he makes a real error, for me this is Johnson’s fight to lose.

The Pick: Johnson via unanimous decision