Demetrious Johnson has made a surprising claim about how the UFC may be approaching talent recruitment from one of MMA’s most dominant regions.

During a recent conversation with fellow UFC legend Georges St-Pierre, ‘Mighty Mouse’ claimed that he has heard rumors that Dana White and the company are no longer interested in bringing in more fighters from Dagestan and other parts of Russia due to how dominant they have become.

“I heard a rumor recently that they’re not letting any more Dagestani or Russian guys in the organization because they’re that f—— good,” Demetrious Johnson said.

“Because they would just destroy everybody. Could you imagine more Umar Nurmagomedovs? Could you imagine that? The guy who is a striker and then takes you down.”

This is very in line with what Georges St-Pierre said on the same podcast episode that promoters such as Dana White naturally prefer champions who can attract fans and generate attention.

“They run a business, so I understand,” he told Johnson. “It’s not a trick, but it’s like they want their more charismatic guy to be champion. I get it, but in a way it sort of changes the dynamic.”

Whether the rumor brought to the spotlight by ‘Mighty Mouse’ carries any truth remains unclear. Demetrious Johnson provided no evidence other than what he had heard, and neither the CEO nor the UFC has publicly said that it restricts competitors from any certain region.

However, the words may sound true to many because of the extraordinary success that Dagestani fighters have had over the last decade. From Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s undefeated reign to Islam Makhachev‘s continued domination, Dagestan has been synonymous with elite grappling, constant pressure, and a style that few opponents can solve.

And as Demetrious Johnson pointed out, fighters like Umar Nurmagomedov have shown the ability to combine high-level striking with world-class wrestling, making for some of the most challenging matchups in the sport.

Ironically, that dominance has also created criticism. Even though hardcore fans usually praise the technical superiority of the Dagestani style, several fans have frequently labeled the style as less entertaining due to the amount of wrestling and control involved. In fact, a reigning champion believes that the recent dominance of such fighters is now costing the UFC and MMA.

Sean Strickland goes off on Russian dominance in the UFC

Demetrious Johnson’s comments are not the first time a prominent UFC figure has suggested that the growth of Dagestani and Russian fighters is posing a challenge for the promotion. Just two months ago, Sean Strickland made a similar argument, albeit in far more typical Sean Strickland style.

While preparing for his title battle against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328, the outspoken middleweight argued that the UFC’s growing reliance on fighters from the region was making the sport less appealing to American audiences.

The middleweight kingpin’s criticism wasn’t focused on skill level. If anything, he seemed annoyed by how effective these fighters had become. During one of his signature rants, he questioned why the UFC continued to promote fighters whom he believed American fans struggled to connect with.

“I wonder if the UFC wakes up and says, ‘I want to actively ruin the sport?'” Strickland said. “Let’s go and get the most unlikeable pieces of s— and let’s put them in the UFC. F— Tank Abbott, f— Matt Hughes; let’s just go and get the most unlikeable motherf——, dude.

“I think I made a joke on Islam, which I try to lay off of because I have a load of Muslim buddies. He said something like ‘Allahu Akbar’ [Strickland actually said ‘Ali Ali Akbar’] on one of my tweets. The UFC bringing these f—— in, fight or not, you make the sport basically unwatchable.”

Ironically, one of the names mentioned was Nassourdine Imavov, who, while being born in Dagestan, is better known for striking than grinding opponents down with wrestling.

“You’re bringing people that are not compatible with America that Americans do not give a f— about, that don’t understand America and can never be an American,” he continued. “So it’s one of those s—– things where the UFC will keep doing it, but I don’t give a f— about Nassourdine.”

What makes the situation interesting now is how closely Sean Strickland’s complaints align with the rumor Demetrious Johnson recently discussed. It’s unclear whether the UFC is slowing down recruitment from Dagestan.

However, given Johnson’s comments, Rinat Fakhretdinov‘s surprising release last year despite his undefeated UFC record, and the ongoing debate over wrestling-heavy champions, the conversation is unlikely to die down anytime soon.

The UFC has always insisted that the best fighters earn their place regardless of where they come from. However, as Russian and Dagestani fighters continue to dominate some of the sport’s biggest divisions, questions about how that dominance affects business, matchmaking, and fan interest will probably keep surfacing.