By: Fatima Roshni Image credit: Getty Images
Indiana Pacers player: 6-foot-7 James Johnson, drafted in NBA in 2009 by the Chicago Bulls and currently in his 14th season of his professional career, is also a karate player with black belt.
Alongside his basketball career, the 36-year-old NBA star is also a kickboxing and mixed martial arts fighter, with an unbeaten record of 20-0 in kickboxing and 7-0 in MMA.
Carrying such impressive records, Johnson, in one of his recent appearances on the NBA Rookie Life with Ryan Hollins podcast, dared to beat off UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones in a fight.
Johnson's challenging statement on Jon Jones read, "I think I could beat him for real. I’m 6 feet 8 though. But, like I said, with a year of training and defense, I just need ground defense."
Adding more, "I rock with Jones. I would need a year. My standup game is great but what we all know about Jones is that he’s a collegiate wrestler really good on the ground and that’s not my forte."
With such a statement, the UFC heavyweight champion will, however, be prepared to take over the fight and is currently preparing for the November 11 game at Madison Square Garden against Stipe Miocic.
The UFC fighter with several championship titles and defenses, who made his debut in 2008 in the league, won his first UFC Heavyweight Championship title this year by playing against Ciryl Gane.
Besides this, the 36-year-old is also a mixed martial arts fighter and an amateur wrestler since high school and college, with 27 out of 29 wins in MMA and the ESPY's Best MMA Fighter of 2023.
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