Charles Johnson has come out on top against the reigning UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van, once. But his journey after that has been tumultuous! Surely, that’s something Johnson would want to change in his upcoming fight against Bruno Silva at UFC Vegas 114 this weekend.
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But ahead of that, time and again, fans who witnessed closely were left intrigued by the myriad of tattoos sported by Johnson. Spread all over his body, what caught the most attention, though, was the massive Olympic logo sprawled across his back. But what’s the story behind the five rings that the fighter sports?
Charles Johnson was a part of the track and field community once!
An ankh, the Olympic symbol, a set of wings, hieroglyphs, and countless other symbols adorn 33-year-old Johnson’s body. Traditionally recognized as the “Olympic Olive Wreath”, a mark of the spirit of the games, the logo “represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.”
However, for Charles Johnson, that’s all it is, as he has never been a part of the games. But his previous relationship with the track and field community might explain the tattoo’s significance. As per reports available online, he was a 2-time AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) champion in 3,000 run.
He attended the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff and was a part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference in cross country. As per the Southeast Missouri State University Athletics website, Johnson’s last cross country event was in 2013. He competed in five events and placed fourth at the SIUE Cross Country Challenge.
Apart from that, he was qualified for the state selection in track and field, cross country, and wrestling. Now that’s what we call a multitasker!
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Chalong Ink, a tattoo studio based in Phuket, Thailand, has been credited with the Egyptian designs. The shop is particularly popular among UFC fighters, as is evident from its official Instagram profile. Exactly when Johnson got the tattoo is still unclear, though. Maybe his association with athletics has something to do with it.
Nevertheless, amid that, Johnson now has a very important fight coming up against Bruno Silva. Notably, three fights before, ‘InnerG’ had a very dominating streak in the UFC flyweight division, where he also had a knockout win over Joshua Van.
But look at how times have changed. While Johnson’s UFC career trajectory declined, Van became the champion of their division. Having said that, one cannot overlook the Kansas native’s prowess as a fighter.
The main card opener bout at UFC Vegas 114, will be where Johnson would want to prove his worth again. On that note, do you think an enigmatic character like ‘InnerG’ will beat Silva, who has only three defeats in the UFC? Let us know in the comments below!
