‘Mighty Mouse’ on Spectacular Submission: ‘I’ve Been Doing That for a Long Time in the Gym’

While Demetrious Johnson’s mid-air release suplex to armbar submission of Ray Borg was a novelty to most anyone watching UFC 216, for “Mighty Mouse” it was almost routine.

“I looked for that suplex to armbar. I’ve been doing that for a long time in the gym. I’ve kind of mastered that submission and no one has ever done it,” Johnson said. [AMC Pankration Coach] Matt [Hume] is always telling me to hit it and I had it, my energy was full, and I was like ‘Here we go.’ I’m just happy I was able to do it.”

Added Borg, “I don’t even think it was really a submission. Sometimes you just make s—t up.”

Prior to his spectacular finish, which will likely top many “Submission of the Year” lists for 2017, Johnson was clinical in his domination of Borg. Johnson outlanded his foe 172 to 22 in total strikes, went 8-for-8 on takedowns and passed guard 19 times. The 24-year-old Jackson-Wink MMA product rarely had any moments of daylight in the co-main event bout.

“I laughed at him a couple times during the fight, because he did some sneaky s—t,” Borg said. “I thought it was pretty cool.”

In winning five of his previous six Octagon appearances, Borg established himself as a fighter who often got the best of his opponents in scrambles. That wasn’t the case on Saturday night.

“Ray said that my scrambling ability was garbage, but at the end of the day you have to remember when I fought Tim Elliott that he’s an awkward dude, it was an awkward fight, he’s 5’10” and long for the weight class. It was two minutes of the fight. I wanted to prove my scrambling abilities,” Johnson said. “I work with the best and I wanted to nullify your scrambling abilities. That’s what I wanted to do tonight.”

Johnson and Borg were initially scheduled to square off at UFC 215 in Edmonton one month prior, but Borg had to withdraw a couple days before the bout due to illness. The reigning flyweight champ, who surpassed Anderson Silva’s record for most consecutive title defenses, said the delay was no issue.

“I feel good. Getting up to Edmonton and getting ready to cut weight, then I get the call from the UFC saying Ray was sick,” he said. “I came back home and reset, watched video again, went through another hard four weeks of training camp and I came here to put on a great show.”