Did UFC fighter Charles Johnson ever compete in the Olympics? Decoding the meaning behind his five-r

Publish date: 2024-06-30

UFC flyweight Charles Johnson's body sports tattoos in many places, including a hair tattoo on the back of his head. The most eye-catching piece from his complete ink portfolio is a five-ring tattoo on his upper back that resembles the Olympic Games logo.

The five-ring symbol on Johnson's back is encased in the traditional Olympic olive leaf wreath, which is often a feature of the Olympic Games. Despite the elaborate imagery, Charles Johnson has never competed in the Olympics or been a part of it in any capacity. The tattoo has often served to mislead mixed martial arts fans who are not aware of Johnson's background.

Johnson has a strong athletics background and is a two-time AAU track and field champion and was an All-State level wrestler and long distance runner with impressive steeplechase performances. His true calling lay in mixed martial arts.

'InnerG' was immensely successful during his time at Legacy Fighting Alliance, making his promotional debut with a win in 2017. However, it was in 2021, after various other bouts for other promotions, that Johnson really came into his own at LFA.

Johnson fought three times in 2021 and strung together a streak of wins, securing the interim flyweight championship twice and then unifying it in his final fight at LFA in 2022.

He was then signed by the UFC and made his debut against flyweight prodigy Muhammad Mokaev. The debut loss was followed by two solid victories but the former LFA champion has failed to build on them.

Charles Johnson becomes the first UFC fighter to fight thrice in 2023

Charles Johnson became the first fighter on the UFC roster to feature in the octagon three times in 2023 after his latest encounter against Cody Durden at UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Simon.

Johnson could not overcome Durden's challenge, however, and was thoroughly dominated through three rounds of their preliminary card fight. He lost via unanimous decision, marking his second loss in as many fights.

Regardless, Charles Johnson is confident that his volume of activity will bring forth the results and cited the example of former UFC champions Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira. In an interview with the UFC, he said:

“Everybody’s who had longevity in this sport has been active. I look at Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier. All these guys fought often when they got in the UFC, and in the beginning of their careers, nobody said they’d be a champion. They were talented, and what’d they do? They stayed consistent. It’s just about staying consistent within yourself and your discipline. For me, the more I can get into the [Octagon], the better.”

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