"Honestly, it's a dream come true. Watching Manny over the years and seeing him progress and him actually having me in camp for arguably the biggest fight in history, it's honestly a blessing and I couldn't be more happy just to be here," stated former UFC lightweight contender Dashon Johnson, who recently revealed to Elie Seckbach of ESNews.com that he's been sparring with 8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao as he prepares for the May 2 showdown with undefeated pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather. Johnson, who suffered back-to-back submission losses during his brief stint in the UFC, was released from the organization after he violated his contract when he participated in a professional boxing match.
Although the UFC allows it's fighters to participate in grappling competitions outside of the organization, they're not permitted to take part in striking competitions. Johnson, who sports a 9-2 mixed martial arts record, has also been a professional boxer since 2008. His boxing record, however, isn't quite as impressive. In 37 fights, he's won 15, lost 19, and had 3 draws. Some of his notable losses came to Sergio Mora, Joshua Clottey, Jermell Charlo, Glen Tapia, and ironically Luis Arias, who was still fighting under the Mayweather Promotions banner at the time. One can't help but wonder if a 15-19-3 fighter is the type of sparring that Pacquiao needs to prepare him for Mayweather. Fortunately, he's also sparring with young undefeated up-and-comers Rashidi Ellis and Kenneth Sims Jr., as well as a few others. Perhaps Johnson provides a better "Mayweather look" that the other sparring partners may not be able to emulate.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW TO SEE WHAT ELSE DASHON JOHNSON HAD TO SAY:
[ Follow Ben Thompson on Twitter @fighthype ]