Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson recently gave advice to Mario Bautista ahead of his fight with Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.
Nurmagomedov is the heavy favorite, seeking a bounce-back win after losing to Merab Dvalishvili. Johnson warned Bautista not to get distracted by Nurmagomedov's famous family name, advising him to trust his skills and not show too much respect.
People kind of get kind of aura-shy. They’re like, ‘Oh man, this is a Nurmagomedov, he trains with Khabib.’ They kind of get googly eyes.
Johnson believes many of Nurmagomedov's past opponents lost focus by thinking too much about Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Author's summary: Demetrious Johnson advises Mario Bautista.