Kajan Johnson

Last updated
Kajan Johnson
Kajan Johnson at UFN 136 in Moscow.jpg
Kajan Johnson at UFC Fight Night 136 in Moscow
Born (1984-04-21) April 21, 1984 (age 40)
Burns Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Other namesRagin
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) [1]
Weight155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
Division Lightweight
Reach74 in (188 cm)
Fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Team Tristar Gym (2011–present) [2]
RankBlack belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu [3]
Years active2002–2018
Mixed martial arts record
Total37
Wins23
By knockout8
By submission8
By decision7
Losses13
By knockout6
By submission2
By decision5
Draws1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Kajan Johnson (born April 21, 1984) is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the lightweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor since 2002, he is also known for competing The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia for Team Canada, as well as the MFC and King of the Cage. [4]

Contents

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Johnson made his MMA debut in 2002, going 4–4 by years end. Johnson then made his MFC debut losing to Chad Hanseh.

Starting in October 2005, Johnson went 11–1–1 over five years with his only loss coming in a title fight for the KOTC Canadian Lightweight Championship against future UFC top contender and training partner Rory MacDonald. [5] He also captured the XMMA Lightweight title. [6]

Johnson would make his return to MFC at MFC 23 taking on Ryan Machan. He lost via submission in the first round.

Johnson was set to take on Orestes Betran at MFC 27. [7] Betran then pulled out of the match and was replaced with a veteran of 29 fights at the time, Ryan Healy. [8] He won via unanimous decision.

The Ultimate Fighter

In late 2013 it was announced that Johnson will be one of the Canadian fighters picked to be on TUF Nations Team Canada. [9]

In episode 1, Johnson is picked to fight first against Australia's own Brendan O’Reilly. Johnson states that he is injured, but that he always fights injured. Despite the injuries, Johnson implies he is still more dangerous than anybody else in the house. Johnson gives Canada their first win with a rear-naked choked in the first round. [10]

In episode 10, Johnson was set to face his teammate Chad Laprise in the semi-finals. Johnson lost via KO in the second round. Johnson's jaw was broken from the punch. [11]

After the show Johnson was noted as the reason for the removal of fellow TUF Nations contestant Tyler Manawaroa from the UFC after claiming Tyler was a racist due to an image posted on his personal Instagram. Tyler was of native New Zealand Maori descent and later explained it was the actions of a schoolboy making fun of himself and his own heritage, as in Australia many Aboriginals, Maoris and Polynesians consider themselves 'dark-skinned' or 'non-white'. [12] Kajan later apologised though nevertheless Tyler was removed from the UFC roster and remains inactive yet undefeated . [13]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Johnson made his promotional debut at UFC 174, taking on Tae Hyun Bang. [14] He lost via knockout in the third round. They both earned Fight of the Night honors. [15]

Johnson was then set to face Zhang Lipeng on May 16, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 66. [16] He won via unanimous decision. [17]

Johnson faced Naoyuki Kotani on September 27, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 75. [18] He won the fight by unanimous decision. [19]

Returning from a near two-year hiatus, Johnson faced Adriano Martins at UFC 215 on September 9, 2017. [20] He won the fight via knockout in the third round. [21]

Johnson was scheduled to face Rustam Khabilov on March 17, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 127. [22] However, Khabilov pulled out of the fight citing injury and was replaced by Stevie Ray. [23] He won the fight via split decision. [24]

Johnson faced Islam Makhachev on July 28, 2018, at UFC on Fox 30. [25] He lost the fight via armbar submission in the first round. [26]

The fight with Rustam Khabilov was rescheduled and eventually took place on September 15, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 136. [27] Johnson lost the back-and-forth fight by split decision. [28] 12 out of 13 media scores gave it to Johnson. [29]

On September 29, 2018, Johnson revealed that the fight with Khabilov was the last of his contract and the UFC had not made any attempts to re-sign him. [30]

He announced his retirement from mixed martial arts in 2020 after his release from the UFC. [31]

Championships and achievements

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
37 matches23 wins13 losses
By knockout86
By submission82
By decision75
Draws1
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Loss23–14–1 Rustam Khabilov Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Oleinik September 15, 201835:00 Moscow, Russia
Loss23–13–1 Islam Makhachev Submission (armbar) UFC on Fox: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2 July 28, 201814:43 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Win23–12–1 Stevie Ray Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov March 17, 201835:00 London, England
Win22–12–1 Adriano Martins KO (punch) UFC 215 September 9, 201730:49 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Win21–12–1 Naoyuki Kotani Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Barnett vs. Nelson September 27, 201535:00 Saitama, Japan
Win20–12–1 Zhang Lipeng Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Faber May 16, 201535:00 Pasay, Philippines
Loss19–12–1 Tae Hyun Bang KO (punch) UFC 174 June 14, 201432:01 Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaFight of the Night.
Win19–11–1Richie WhitsonSubmission (rear-naked choke) MFC 31: Rundown October 7, 201113:52 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Win18–11–1 Ryan Healy Decision (unanimous) MFC 27: Breaking Point November 12, 201035:00 Enoch, Alberta, CanadaCatchweight (158 lbs) bout; Healy missed weight.
Loss17–11–1Ryan MachanSubmission (rear-naked choke) MFC 23: Unstoppable December 4, 200913:30 Enoch, Alberta, Canada
Win17–10–1Josh RussellTKO (doctor stoppage)Heat XC 4: HysteriaNovember 6, 200925:00 Enoch, Alberta, Canada
Win16–10–1Steve ClaveauSubmission (armbar)XMMA 7: InfernoFebruary 27, 200923:02 Montreal, Quebec, CanadaDefended the XMMA Lightweight Championship.
Win15–10–1Samuel GuilletSubmission (armbar)XMMA 6: House of PainNovember 8, 200810:52 Montreal, Quebec, CanadaWon the XMMA Lightweight Championship.
Win14–10–1Zach LightKO (punches)EFC 6: Home ComingOctober 11, 200812:47 Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Win13–10–1Douglas EvansSubmission (rear-naked choke)Raw Combat: ResurrectionJune 20, 200820:57 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Draw12–10–1Steve ClaveauDraw (majority)XMMA 4May 17, 200835:00 Saguenay, Quebec, Canada
Loss12–10 Rory MacDonald TKO (elbows and punches)KOTC Canada: AvalancheDecember 15, 200731:48 Moncton, New Brunswick, CanadaFor the KOTC Canadian Lightweight Championship.
Win12–9Dave PariseauSubmission (rear-naked choke)EFC 5: RevolutionNovember 3, 200712:04 Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Win11–9Jason St. LouisTKO (submission to punches)KOTC Canada: MegiddoApril 28, 200712:54 Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
Win10–9Robert HugusSubmission (armbar)KOTC Canada: DetonatorSeptember 29, 200614:29 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Win9–9Todd SteenSubmission (rear-naked choke)Canada: AnarchyFebruary 11, 200613:58 Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Win8–9Gord CummingsTKO (punches)Extreme Fighting Challenge 4October 15, 200514:06 Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Loss7–9Jesse BongfeldtTKO (corner stoppage)Rites of Passage 2February 12, 200530:10 Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Win7–8Roger AlvesDecision (split)Extreme Fighting Challenge 3October 16, 200435:00 Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Loss6–8Stephane DubeKO (spinning back kick)TKO 15: UnstoppableFebruary 28, 200414:06 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Loss6–7Thierry QuennevilleDecision (split)TKO 14: Road WarriorsNovember 29, 200325:00 Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada
Win6–6Jaime RenneSubmission (triangle choke)Western Freestyle ChampionshipsOctober 12, 20031N/A Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
Loss5–6Mike AdamsDecision (unanimous)WFF 5: New BloodJune 28, 200325:00 Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Win5–5Jeremy WhittinghamDecision (unanimous) MFC 7: Undisputed May 31, 200325:00 Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada
Loss4–5Chad HamzehTKO (punches) MFC 6: Road To Gold February 22, 2003N/AN/A Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Win4–4Chris AdeDecision (split)XFC: Combat ShowdownNovember 23, 200225:00 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Loss3–4Justin LivingstonDecision (majority)World Freestyle Fighting 3October 25, 200225:00 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Loss3–3Len SmithDecision (unanimous)Roadhouse Rumble 6October 5, 200225:00 Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Loss3–2 Josh Thomson TKO (submission to elbows)North American Sport Fighting InvitationalSeptember 7, 200224:56 Boise, Idaho, United States
Win3–1Aaron KrafczykTKO (submission to punches)Border Town BrawlJuly 27, 20021N/A Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada
Win2–1Pedro AlbuquerqueTKO (exhaustion)Extreme Fighting Challenge 1June 2, 2002N/AN/A Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Loss1–1Justin JonesTKO (submission to punches)Ultimate Ring Challenge 2April 27, 20022N/A Olympia, Washington, United States
Win1–0Eric HarveyTKO (submission to punches)Roadhouse Rumble 5February 23, 2002N/AN/A Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

[33]

Professional record breakdown
2 matches1 win1 loss
By knockout01
By submission10
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Loss1–1 Chad Laprise KO (punch) The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia March 19, 2014 (airdate)2N/A Quebec City, Quebec, CanadaSemi-finals
Win1–0 Brendan O’Reilly Submission (rear-naked choke)January 15, 2014 (airdate)1N/AQuarter-finals

[33]

See also

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References

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  2. Leon Horne (October 5, 2011). "MFC 31's Kajan Johnson: Rory MacDonald Might Do More Than Georges St-Pierre". bleacherreport.com.
  3. Kajan Johnson (@iamkajan) (July 9, 2018). ""(...) IM A BLACK BELT BABY!!!!!!"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
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  8. "Ryan Healy steps into face Kajan Johnson at MFC 27 Breaking Point". ufcbettingsite.com. 2010-11-06.
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  12. "'TUF Nations' fighter Tyler Manawaroa won't get UFC contract due to racist Instagram post". mmaweekly.com. 2014-02-11.
  13. "'Kajan Johnson reflects, instructs, offers apology to Tyler Manawaroa". mixedmartialarts.com. 2014-02-12.
  14. "Kajan Johnson vs. Tae Hyun Bang booked for UFC 174 in Vancouver". mmajunkie.com. 2014-04-10.
  15. "UFC 174 bonuses: Tae Hyun Bang gets $100K, Kajan Johnson, Kiichi Kunimoto $50K". mmajunkie.com. 2014-06-15.
  16. "UFC Fight Night 65: Kajan Johnson returns against Zhang Lipeng". theprovince.com. 2015-02-11.
  17. "UFC Fight Night 66 results: Kajan Johnson outworks Lipeng Zhang for first UFC win". ubertopic.com. 2015-05-17.
  18. "Kajan Johnson vs. Naoyuki Kotani set for UFC Fight Night 75". mmajunkie.com. 2015-07-09.
  19. Ben Fowlkes (2014-09-26). "UFC Fight Night 75 results: Kajan Johnson outstrikes Naoyuki Kotani for decision". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2014-09-26.
  20. Staff (2017-07-20). "Adriano Martins faces Kajan Johnson at UFC 215 in September in Canada" (in Portuguese). sportv.globo.com. Retrieved 2017-07-20.
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  22. "Kajan Johnson vs. Rustam Khabilov added to UFC Fight Night 127 in London". MMAjunkie. 2018-01-05. Retrieved 2018-01-06.
  23. Staff (2018-02-08). "Kajan Johnson says Stevie Ray has stepped in as UFC-London replacement". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  24. John Morgan (2018-03-17). "UFC Fight Night 127 results: Kajan Johnson edges Stevie Ray in razor-thin split". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
  25. "Islam Makhachev vs. Kajan Johnson set for UFC on FOX card in Canada". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  26. "UFC on FOX 30 results: 6-1 favorite Islam Makhachev taps Kajan Johnson with armbar". MMAjunkie. 2018-07-28. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  27. Shakiel Mahjouri (2018-08-08). "Rustam Khabilov vs Kajan Johnson rebooked For UFC Moscow". mmasucka.com. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  28. "UFC Fight Night 136 results: Rustam Khabilov tops Kajan Johnson in close split decision". MMAjunkie. 2018-09-15. Retrieved 2018-09-16.
  29. "Rustam Khabilov def. Kajan Johnson :: UFC Fight Night 136 :: MMA Decisions". www.mmadecisions.com. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
  30. "Union advocate Kajan Johnson bids farewell to UFC in emotional Instagram post". MMAjunkie. 2018-09-29. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
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  33. 1 2 Sherdog.com. "Kajan". Sherdog. Retrieved 2020-07-30.