Jordan David Johnson (born November 18, 1988) is a retired American professional

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, incorp ...

who formerly competed in the

middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have be ...

division of the

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 ...

. A professional since 2014, he also competed for the

Resurrection Fighting Alliance Legacy Fighting Alliance is an American mixed martial arts promotion, created as a result of the ''Legacy Fighting Championship'' and ''Resurrection Fighting Alliance'' merger in early 2017. History Resurrection Fighting Alliance On October 11, ...

and

Professional Fighters League The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promot ...

Background

Johnson was born in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, on November 18, 1988. He first started wrestling in 6th grade at Washington Jr High School in

Naperville, Illinois Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is in the Chicago metro area, west of the city. Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. The city was ...

. From there, he went on to wrestle for

Naperville North High School Naperville North High School is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Ogden Avenue and Mill Street in the northern-central part of Naperville, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the coun ...

where he became the

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

High School State Wrestling Champion his junior year. He moved to

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

his senior year, placing 3rd in the Iowa state tournament. Upon graduation from high school, Johnson signed on to wrestle at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

. He was a two-time University Nationals All-American in

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...

Wrestling career

High school

Johnson won the 2006 Class AA Illinois state heavyweight state title

, and placed third as a sophomore. He placed fifth at NHSCA Senior Nationals his senior year and third at NHSCA Junior Nationals his junior year. Johnson was coached by Danny Knight at

Bettendorf High School Bettendorf High School (BHS) is a public four-year comprehensive high school located in Bettendorf, Iowa and is part of the Bettendorf Community School District. History Early history Prior to its opening in 1951, there was no high school in ...

and Tom Champion at Naperville North High School.

College

Johnson wrestled at the

, where he had a career record 25-11. * 2010-2011 Season-Posted a 2–3 record at heavyweight, wrestled at Kaufman-Brand Open and Midlands Championships. * 2009-2010 Season-Posted a 14–3 record at heavyweight, went 7–2 in dual competition and scored 30 team points while competing for injured starter Dan Erekson, went 5–0 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, won title at Wisconsin Open and placed second at Grand View Open, letterwinner placed sixth at 120 kg/264.5 pounds at ASICS men's freestyle University National Championships. * 2008-09 Season-Posted a 9–5 record at heavyweight went 1–3 in dual competitions and 1–2 in Big Ten duals, won title at Duhawk Open and placed second at Grand View Open, also competed at Northern Iowa Open, letterwinner placed third at 120 kg at ASICS men's freestyle University National Championships. * 2007-2008 Season-redshirted and Posted a 7–4 season record at 197 pounds while competing unattached, placed fourth at Kaufman-Brand Open and fifth at Jim Fox Open, scored two pins, one technical fall and one major decision.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Johnson made his amateur MMA debut in 2013, compiling an impressive 3–0 record as a

Heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

. He then turned professional in 2014, amassing an undefeated professional record of 6–0, while becoming the final RFA champion in the process. In January 2017, Johnson was signed by 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 ...

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Johnson made his promotional debut against Henrique da Silva on January 28, 2017, at

UFC on Fox 23 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 ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Johnson faced Marcel Fortuna on July 7, 2017 at The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Johnson faced

Adam Milstead Adam Alexander Milstead (born July 3, 1987) is an American former mixed martial arts fighter who competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor from 2009 up until 2018, he also competed ...

on March 3, 2018 at

UFC 222 ''UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 3, 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Background A ...

. He won the fight by split decision. Johnson faced promotional newcomer Adam Yandiev, replacing injured

Krzysztof Jotko Krzysztof Jotko (born August 19, 1989) is a Polish mixed martial artist currently competing in the Middleweight division. He has previously fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Born and raised in Orneta, Poland, Jotko was ori ...

, on September 15, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 136 ''UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Oleinik'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 136'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on September 15, 2018 at Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Background The ev ...

. He won the fight by submission in the second round. As Johnson didn't agree with the financial terms of UFC's contract extension offer after the fight with

, he became a free agent after the fight with Yandiev.

Professional Fighters League

On March 21, 2019, Johnson was revealed to be competing in the light heavyweight bracket of

's second season. He made his debut against

Maxim Grishin Maxim Anthony Grishin (born May 2, 1984) is a Russian mixed martial artist and kickboxer who competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Grishin was the former M-1 Global Eastern Europe Heavyweight Champion. ...

at PFL 3 on June 6, 2019. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Johnson was set to face

Tom Lawlor Thomas Joseph Lawlor (born May 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and podcast host. He is best known for his time in Major League Wrestling (MLW), where he was a former one-time MLW World Heavyweight Cham ...

on April 29, 2021 at PFL 2 as the start of the 2021 PFL Light Heavyweight tournament. However, in March, it was announced that Johnson pulled out and was replaced by

Antônio Carlos Júnior Antônio Carlos Coelho de Figueiredo Barbosa Júnior (born 16 March 1990), also known as Antônio Carlos Jr. and professionally by his ring name Cara de Sapato (as well as its English translation Shoeface), is a Brazilian mixed martial artist wh ...

. Later, PFL announced that

will replace Johnson for the whole season.

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 12-2-1 , Emiliano Sordi , TKO (punches) , PFL 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:01 ,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States , . , - , Win , align=center, 12-1-1 , Rashid Yusupov , Decision (unanimous) , rowspan=2 , PFL 9 , rowspan=2 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 , rowspan=2 ,

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 Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Draw , align=center, 11-1-1 ,

, Draw (majority) , align=center, 2 , align=center, 5:00 , , - , Win , align=center, 11-1 , Sigi Pesaleli , Decision (unanimous) , PFL 6 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , PFL 3 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a census-designated place (CDP), as well as a suburb in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, New York, Town of Hempstead. The population was 32,473 at the 2020 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Adam Yandiev , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Oliynyk , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:42 ,

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, Russia , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Marcel Fortuna , Decision (unanimous) , The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption Finale , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Henrique da Silva , Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , LeMarcus Tucker , Decision (unanimous) , RFA 46 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Branson, Missouri Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postma ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Shaun Asher , Submission (rear-naked choke) , RFA 39 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:37 ,

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Ryan Debelak , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , RFA 37 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:02 ,

Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sioux Falls () is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota and the 130th-most populous city in the United States. It is the county seat of Minnehaha County and also extends into Lincoln County to the south, which continues up ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Gemenie Strehlow , Submission (anaconda choke) , RFA 29 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:48 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Ryan Scheeper , TKO (submission to punches) , PC MMA: Pinnacle Combat 17 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:32 ,

Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cedar Rapids () is the second-largest city in Iowa, United States and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa, Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River, north of Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City and north ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Fernando Smith , TKO (punches) , Duel for Domination 7 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:01 ,

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley (Phoenix metropolitan area), East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by ...

, United States , , -

Amateur Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Deon Clash , Submission (anaconda choke) , KOTC- Regulators , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:48 ,

Scottsdale, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Winfield Scott , image_skyline = , image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg , image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg , nick ...