“No harm, no foul” — at least publicly.
Longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Michael Johnson is set to return this weekend (Sat., March 7, 2026) at UFC 326 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he’ll face fellow action fighter and all-time Lightweight knockout record holder Drew Dober.
But Johnson was originally scheduled to compete two months ago at UFC 324, the promotion’s debut Paramount+ event. His bout against Alexander Hernandez was abruptly canceled on fight day
due to reported betting irregularities.
While Johnson’s management released a statement shortly after the incident, “The Menace” himself stayed silent — until UFC 326 media day (watch here).
“Literally right when we got off the stage for ceremonial weigh-ins I got the bad news. I was crazy,” Johnson told reporters. “It is just the world we live in now where things like this can get a fight pulled. We just have to move forward. I didn’t hear much in details but I understood where the UFC came from and why they had to pull the fight but now we’re back here — no harm, no foul.”
Johnson said he wasn’t given many specifics surrounding the situation. Reports have indicated that the FBI is once again investigating the matter.
Still, that didn’t make the moment any easier.
“I was pissed. I was upset,” Johnson admitted. “I was really upset that I couldn’t fight but I was more upset that my friends, my family, everyone came out to Las Vegas to see me and I had to break the bad news to them. I had to deal with my mother being distraught as she overreacts quite a bit and she thought I was in trouble. It was a whole whirlwind, but I get paid this weekend.”
Johnson also revealed the UFC compensated him “a little bit” following the cancellation.
As for Hernandez, he has yet to be rebooked since the UFC 324 fallout. Now, Johnson finally gets his chance to move past the controversy — and settle things the old-fashioned way.
For much more on this weekend’s UFC 326 card click here.
