Demetrious Johnson hoping to tie Anderson Silva’s title defense record on FOX this April

Demetrious Johnson has quietly transformed into one of the very best pound-for-pound fighters the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) has ever seen. At just 30 years of age, “Mighty Mouse” has cleared out the entire Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight division en route to nine-straight title defenses. According to Johnson, he hopes that he’ll have the chance to extend that streak to 10 and tie Anderson Silva’s UFC record this April on FOX.

“My next fight is set to tie Anderson Silva’s record for the most consecutive title fight defenses in UFC history,” Johnson told MMA Fighting earlier this week. “I put it out in the media and to UFC, immediately after my last fight, that I wanted to do it in Las Vegas in March. Unfortunately, the next guy in line was fighting in February, so it had to be pushed back. Ideally, I would like to do it in Las Vegas where family, friends and followers can attend and witness history being made, as I attempt to reach the greatest pinnacle in mixed martial arts, while remaining the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

“The next date the UFC matchmaker gave me is April 15 in Kansas City. I don't want to wait all the way until July for another Las Vegas card before I fight again, so west coast friends, family and followers would have to travel a little further, but Kansas City is doable, and I'm sure it's going to be a hungry crowd in attendance. I'm ready to do this on April 15 on Fox and pay my respects to one of the greatest fighters of all time by tying his record and joining him in history.”

Rising flyweight title contender Wilson Reis is presumably the “next guy in line” that Johnson is referring to. The two were scheduled to fight for the title at UFC 201 this past July, but “Mighty Mouse” was forced to pull out of the fight due to injury.

Fighting on FOX is certainly familiar territory for the UFC flyweight king. Johnson headlined three FOX cards in 2013 alone and would do the same if he put his title on the line opposite Reis at UFC on FOX 24 on April 15 from Kansas City, Missouri. That card currently has no main event in place.

The champ has spoken. Will UFC matchmakers oblige?