DaMarques Johnson (born June 28, 1982) is a retired American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

. He competed for the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

and

King of the Cage King of the Cage (KOTC) is a mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion based in Southern California, United States. History KOTC was founded in 1998 by Terry Trebilcock. KOTC features mostly amateur as well as up and coming MMA stars and former mainstr ...

and was the

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...

runner-up on '' The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom''.

Background

Johnson was born and raised in

West Jordan, Utah West Jordan is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is a suburb of Salt Lake City and has a mixed economy. According to the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 116,961, placing it as the third most populous in the state. T ...

, he and his family were poor and lived in a rough part of the town. Johnson was primarily raised by his Mormon mother, as his father died when he was nine years old. Johnson attended and graduated from Kearns High School, where he competed in

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

and basketball and would often get into fights. In 2000, Johnson joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

and

National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

, an option given to him as a kid to get out of some trouble. Johnson, who was a standout in

hand to hand combat Hand-to-hand combat (sometimes abbreviated as HTH or H2H) is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range (grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of weapons.Huns ...

, worked in the S-1 and did paperwork for other soldiers while assigned to a Special Forces group. It was in 2001, while still enlisted, when a fellow soldier in his platoon introduced to Johnson to Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He trained at Close Combat Institute (CCI) After returning to civilian life following his eight years of active duty, he met

Jeremy Horn Jeremy Graham Horn (born August 25, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist. Horn is best known for fighting in smaller American promotions, he has also competed in some of the premiere mixed martial arts organizations around the world, inclu ...

and began training in mixed martial arts at his gym. Before taping for the ''Ultimate Fighter'', DaMarques taught children's Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes at Sandy's Elite Performance gym.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Johnson, who in the earlier portions of his career fought as high in the weight classes as Heavyweight had his first fight in 2005, losing by technical knockout. He was submitted by the highly regarded

Brock Larson Brock Orville Larson (born August 23, 1977) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions. A professional competitor from 2002 until 2016, Larson has formerly competed for the ...

in his second fight. In his third professional fight, Johnson had his first win at a

event, winning the fight by submission due to punches.

''The Ultimate Fighter''

Johnson appeared on '' The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom''. He defeated Ray Elbe by technical knockout in an elimination match earning him a spot on the ''United States'' team. Johnson won his second fight against Dean Amasinger by submission using a triangle choke, which is noted by his coaches and teammates to be his signature submission move. Johnson won his semi-final match up against

Nick Osipczak Nicholas Dominic Osipczak (born 30 December 1984) is an English professional mixed martial artist, most famous for his fights and wins in the welterweight division of the UFC. He was also a cast member of Spike TV's '' The Ultimate Fighter: ...

by unanimous decision. This win earned him the first spot in the Welterweight Finals. Johnson also gained notoriety throughout the series due to his ongoing feud with Team UK coach

Michael Bisping Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (; born 28 February 1979) is an English actor, sports analyst, commentator and retired mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight division of the UFC. A professional competitor ...

. Tensions reached an all-time high after Bisping squirted water into Johnson's face citing that Johnson had made a racist comment toward him earlier in the week. However, the comment was made by fellow USA teammate Cameron Dollar, causing Bisping to apologize to Johnson for his behavior.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Johnson lost his

debut when he fought

James Wilks James Brett Wilks (born 5 April 1978) is an English film producer, vegan activist, a combatives expert and instructor, and former professional mixed martial artist. A professional from 2003 until 2012, he competed for the UFC, King of the Ca ...

on June 20, 2009 in Las Vegas to crown the ''TUF 9'' welterweight winner. Johnson tapped out to a

rear-naked choke The rear naked choke (RNC) is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word "naked" in this context suggests that, unlike other strangulation techniques found in jujutsu/judo, this hold does not require the use of a keikog ...

with six seconds left in round one. After the finale, Johnson was offered a multi-fight contract with the UFC. DaMarques Johnson - UFC 100 Fan Expo - Mandalay Bay Casino, Las Vegas

DaMarques Johnson - UFC 100 Fan Expo - Mandalay Bay Casino, Las Vegas

Johnson was scheduled to face off against

Peter Sobotta Peter Sobotta (born January 11, 1987) is a retired Polish-born German professional mixed martial artist, who fought in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2004, Sobotta has also f ...

on November 14, 2009 at

UFC 105 ''UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on November 14, 2009 in Manchester, United Kingdom at the Manchester Evening News Arena. This event aired on the same day, via tape de ...

, but the bout was cancelled due to a military commitment for Sobotta. Johnson instead fought and defeated Edgar García via submission (triangle choke) in the first round at

UFC 107 ''UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez '' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on December 12, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee at the FedExForum. Background On October 21, it was announced that a previous matchup betwe ...

, earning him a ''Submission of the Night'' bonus. UFC.com ranked the submission fourth in the UFC's 2009 Submission of Year and had honorable mention for UFC's 2009 Fight of the Year. At

UFC 112 ''UFC 112: Invincible'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 10, 2010, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Due to the time zone difference in Abu Dhabi, UFC 112 was shown live on pay-per-view in the U ...

, Johnson fought seasoned veteran

Brad Blackburn Brad Lavale Blackburn Jr. (born May 25, 1977) is a retired American mixed martial artist. A professional from 2000 until 2011, he fought for the UFC, Bellator, the Maximum Fighting Championship, and the Seattle Tiger Sharks of the now defunct ...

, defeating him via third-round TKO with a kick to the body and follow up punches. Johnson received his second UFC bonus, winning ''Knockout of the Night'' honors. Johnson then faced

Matthew Riddle Matthew Fredrick Riddle (born January 14, 1986, in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand, but is currently inactive due ...

on August 1, 2010, at

UFC on Versus 2 ''UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko'' (also known as ''UFC on Versus 2'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Sunday, August 1, 2010, at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California. Background Th ...

. However, Johnson weighed in at 172.5 lb (and only lost half a pound after the weigh-in). Johnson had to give up 20% of his purse to Riddle. Riddle defeated Johnson via TKO in the second round. Johnson next faced

Mike Guymon Michael Kevin Guymon (born September 17, 1974) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who formerly competed in Bellator's Lightweight division. He has also competed for the UFC, as an alternate for the Tucson Scorpions in the ...

on January 22, 2011 at

UFC Fight Night 23 ''UFC: Fight for the Troops 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 23'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on January 22, 2011 at Fort Hood, near Killeen, Texas. The event was the third that the UFC has ho ...

. He won the fight via verbal submission in the first round after applying a body triangle. Johnson faced

Amir Sadollah Amir Ali Sadollah ( fa, امیرعلی ﺳﻌدالله, born August 27, 1980) is a retired American mixed martial artist, formerly with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the winner of Spike TV's '' The Ultimate Fighter 7''. He has fough ...

on March 26, 2011 at UFC Fight Night 24, replacing an injured

on just two weeks notice. Johnson lost the bout in the second round after tapping out to elbows while he was trapped in the 'gift wrap' control. Johnson was expected to face Clay Harvison on September 17, 2011 at

UFC Fight Night 25 ''UFC Fight Night: Shields vs. Ellenberger'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 25'' or ''UFC Fight Night: Battle on the Bayou'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 17, 2011 at the Ernest N. Moria ...

However, Johnson was forced from the bout with an injury and replaced by

Seth Baczynski Seth Baczynski (born October 26, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter currently competing in the Middleweight division. A professional since 2006, Baczynski has formerly competed for the UFC, and was a cast member ...

. Johnson/Harvison took place on November 12, 2011 at

UFC on Fox 1 ''UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 1'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 12, 2011 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background This card marked the ...

. Johnson won the fight via first-round KO after hitting Harvison with an uppercut that knocked him down and seemingly unconscious. Johnson fought British fighter John Maguire on April 14, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV: Gustafsson vs. Silva. He lost the fight via submission in the second round. Johnson faced

Mike Swick Michael Timothy Swick (born June 19, 1979) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist, who spent most of his career competing for the UFC's middleweight division. Swick, who trains at American Kickboxing Academy alongside fellow we ...

on August 4, 2012 at

UFC on FOX 4 ''UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 4'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 4, 2012 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Background Chad Griggs was expected to fa ...

. Swick rocked Johnson early in the first round but Johnson weathered the storm and seemed to have the advantage at the end of the round with his grappling. Early in the second round Swick leg swept Johnson to the ground and finished him off with a punch; followed by two more strikes to an already unconscious Johnson. Johnson was tabbed as a short notice replacement and faced promotional newcomer Gunnar Nelson at a catchweight of 175 lbs. on September 29, 2012 at UFC on Fuel TV 5, replacing an injured

Pascal Krauss Pascal "Panzer" Krauss (born April 19, 1987) is a retired German mixed martial artist who competed in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). His German nickname translates to 'tank' in English. Early life and educ ...

. Johnson did not make weight, coming in at 183 lbs. and lost the fight via first round submission due to a rear naked choke. After his loss to Nelson and missing weight by 8 lbs., Johnson was released from the UFC.

Post-UFC career

Johnson was expected to face Jason South at Showdown Fights 10 on February 8, 2013, however the bout was cancelled prior to the event. Finally, over a year after his UFC release, Johnson faced Ian Williams at Cage Warrior Combat 9 on November 2, 2013. He lost the fight via split decision. He was then expected to face Indalecio Tat Romero at Dakota FC: Winter Brawl on January 11, 2014. However, Johnson was forced out of the bout due to injury. He was expected to face Dan Stittgen in the main event of APFC 16 on April 5, 2014, however Johnson was removed from the bout and the fight was cancelled. Johnson fought Matt Dwyer at Battlefield Fight League 30 on May 23, 2014. He lost via second-round TKO, bringing his losing streak to five in a row.

Personal life

Johnson has a son.

Championships and accomplishments

*Throwdown Showdown **TS Welterweight Championship (One time) *

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

** Submission of the Night (One time) vs. Edgar García ** Knockout of the Night (One time) vs.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 16–15 , Joe Rodriguez , Submission (

Von Flue choke A chokehold, choke, stranglehold or, in Judo, shime-waza ( ja, 絞技, translation=constriction technique) is a general term for a grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air (choking)''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' ( ...

) , SteelFist Fight Night 36: Conflict , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:52 ,

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–14 , Matt Dwyer , TKO (punches) , BFL 30: Battlefield Fight League , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:39 ,

Richmond, British Columbia Richmond is a coastal city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. It occupies almost the entirety of Lulu Island (excluding Queensborough), between the two estuarine distributaries of the Fraser River. Encompassing the adja ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–13 , Ian Williams , Decision (split) , Cage Warrior Combat 9 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , Kent, Washington, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–12 , Gunnar Nelson , Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:34 ,

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–11 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:20 ,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–10 , John Maguire , Submission (armbar) , UFC on Fuel TV: Gustafsson vs. Silva , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:40 , Stockholm, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 16–9 , Clay Harvison , KO (punches) , UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:34 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–9 ,

, Submission (elbows) , UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:27 ,

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–8 ,

, Submission (body triangle) , UFC: Fight for the Troops 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:22 , Killeen, Texas, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 14–8 ,

, TKO (punches) , UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:29 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–7 ,

, TKO (body kick and punches) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:08 , Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates , , - , Win , align=center, 13–7 , Edgar García , Submission (triangle choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:03 ,

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–7 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale ''The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom'' is the ninth installment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) produced reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. It began production in January 2009, and began airing on ...

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:54 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–6 , Ryan Williams , Decision (unanimous) , Extreme Challenge 109 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Moline, Illinois Moline ( ) is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. With a population of 42,985 in 2020, it is the largest city in Rock Island County. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–5 , Brandon Olsen , Submission (triangle choke) , Throwdown Showdown 2 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:31 ,

Orem, Utah Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Me ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–5 , Ron Vincent , TKO (punches) , Jeremy Horn's Elite Fight Night 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:36 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–5 , Samuel Rauch , Submission (triangle choke) , Total Mayhem 1 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:50 , Ogden, Utah, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–5 , Harold Lucambio , Submission (triangle choke) , Throwdown Showdown 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:53 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–5 , Sterling Nitsuma , KO (knee) , Jeremy Horn's Elite Fight Night 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:05 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–5 , William Layton , TKO (punches) , UCE Round 28: Episode 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:55 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–5 ,

Court McGee Courtney Scott "Court" McGee (born December 12, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local prom ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , UCE Round 26: Finals , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:50 ,

St. George, Utah St. George is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Utah, United States. Located in southwestern Utah on the Arizona border, it is the principal city of the St. George Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The city lies in the northe ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–4 , Hank Weiss , Submission (punches) , UCE Round 26: Episode 9 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:15 ,

Sandy, Utah Sandy is a city in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, located in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population of Sandy was 87,461 at the 2010 census, making it the sixth-largest city in Utah. The population is currently estimated ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–4 , Harold Lucambio , Decision (unanimous) , UCE Round 25: Finals , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 ,

West Valley City, Utah West Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County and a suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 140,230 at the 2020 census, making it the second-largest city in Utah. The city incorporated in 1980 from a large, quic ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 4–4 , Justin Wright , TKO (punches) , UCE Round 23: Episode 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:27 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–3 , Tim Panter , TKO (punches) , UCE Round 23: Episode 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–3 , Jake Paul , Submission (kimura) , Utah Fight Night 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:16 ,

, United States , , - , - , Win , align=center, 2–3 , Harold Lucambio , Decision (split) , UCE: Round 19: Episode 2 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 3:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 1–3 , Justin Wright , Submission (triangle choke) , UCE Round 18: Episode 6 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:48 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–2 , David Rodrique , Submission (punches) , KOTC: Shock and Awe , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:51 ,

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anch ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–2 ,

, Submission (keylock) , Extreme Challenge 63 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:02 ,

Hayward, Wisconsin Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, next to the Namekagon River. The population was 2,318 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Sawyer County. The city is surrounded by the Town of Hayward. History Early h ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 , Paul Purcell , TKO (punches) , XFC: Dome Of Destruction 1 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:17 ,

Tacoma, Washington Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Pa ...

, United States ,

References

External links

*
UFC ProfileSponsorship and Clothing Line
{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Damarques Living people American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists from Utah Welterweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Sportspeople from Salt Lake City 1982 births Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters