Kajan Johnson announces free agency, gives emotional farewell to UFC

Kajan Johnson is no longer a UFC fighter.

The 34-year-old lightweight, and aspiring musician, took to his Instagram account to announce his four-year run with the promotion had come to an end.

This announcement comes two weeks after his split-decision loss to Rustam Khabilov at UFC Moscow, which marked the end of his UFC contract. Speaking with MMA Fighting, Johnson had revealed he took the fight against Khabilov hoping to secure a new UFC deal with a victory.

Johnson, the interim vice-president of Project Spearhead, had emerged as one of the most outspoken fighters on the roster when it came to his fellow fighters’ pay. In May 2017, “Ragin’” was escorted out of the UFC Athlete Retreat after a memorable tirade during a Reebok presentation and faked out Dana White with a handshake during the UFC on FOX 30 ceremonial weigh-ins.

Prior to his most recent loss, Johnson (23-14-1), a former XMMA lightweight champ and The Ultimate Fighter: Nations veteran, was submitted by Islam Makhachev late in the first round of their matchup in July. This setback not only snapped his four-fight win streak but put his UFC career in jeopardy.

Johnson previously rattled off decision wins over Zhang Lipeng, Naoyuki Kotani and Stevie Ray while memorably starching Adriano Martins with violent third-round knockout.