When James Johnson played in the NBA, he was dubbed the most feared man in the Association because of his background in combat sports. Johnson grew up in a family of martial artists and went on to fight professionally in kickboxing and mixed martial arts before embarking on a 16-year NBA career.
Now retired and playing in Ice Cube's BIG3 league, James was named the 2026 BIG3 Rookie of the Year. But looking back, Johnson admitted that fighting was his first love, and he still loves putting the hurt on opponents more than putting the ball in the basket.
"I have seven fights in MMA, and I loved it," said Johnson in an interview with Courtside Buzz. "As I said, a lot of people got into MMA probably in college, after college, I grew up doing that, so for me, it was my first favorite sport, my first love, and to this day, I love it more than basketball."
Known as "Bloodsport" for obvious reasons, Johnson was born to karate champions. His father, Willie, won 10 national karate titles and 5 world championships, while his mother, Vi, had five national karate championships. Reportedly, James' eight siblings are also national karate champions or runners-up, so for sure, fighting runs deep in his veins.
A couple of years back, Johnson claimed that he could beat UFC superstar Jon Jones inside a cage . Jones is considered by many, including UFC president Dana White, to be the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. James still insists he would've accomplished that feat in his prime.
"I got nothing but love and respect for Jon Jones. He's a great fighter, probably one of the best fighters to ever put on the gloves and get in the cage. It's just me being who I am. I'm confident. I know what I've been through my whole life. And as I said, basketball I'm good at, but I was better at fighting," he added.
At 6'7″ tall, Johnson holds a 3-inch height advantage over Jones. And while Jon's 84.5-inch reach is one of the longest in UFC history and allows him to throw strikes from as far as a couple of feet away from his opponent, James' 7-foot wingspan proves that he, too, has long arms, and he can hang with the UFC legend on the feet. The ex-NBA player admitted he needs ground training to beat the MMA GOAT.
"I truly, truly believe that. I'm not just talking to rap," said Johnson. "I've been doing this my whole life," declared Johnson. Like real training would really be for that groundwork. But as far as standing up and fighting, I feel like I got an advantage."
In an older interview, Johnson paid respect to Jones by saying he needs to train for at least a year of groundwork before facing him because Jon has one of the best ground games in the business. But given his size, athleticism, and martial arts background, "Bloodsport" would have had a decent fighting chance of beating "Bones" inside the Octagon during his prime.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Sep 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
