Michael Johnson is officially moving down to 145 pounds for his next fight after announcing on Thursday that he’s facing top 10 ranked featherweight Darren Elkins at UFC Fight Night in St. Louis on Jan. 14.
Johnson made the announcement via his Instagram account.
“The next fight is on!,” Johnson wrote. “And oh is it a great one for many, many reasons! The No. 1 first ever hometown fight in St. Louis plus my debut into a new division!”
Johnson hinted at moving down to featherweight following his last fight against Justin Gaethje and now he’ll make his debut at 145 pounds in 2018 while facing a very tough opponent in his first day in the division.
Elkins has won five fights in a row including an incredible come from behind victory to defeat highly touted featherweight prospect Mirsad Bektic earlier this year before getting a win over Dennis Bermudez in July.
Now Elkins appears ready to clash with a perennial contender in Johnson, who was consistently ranked in the lightweight division throughout much of his UFC career.
