It’s one thing to get in an MMA octagon with Pittsburgh Steelers great James Harrison, but it’s another thing to trash talk him before you get there. That’s the mistake former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson is making.
Johnson recently took to social media to say he’s fighting Harrison in a three-round MMA bout before the Super Bowl. We remain skeptical this is actually a thing, but neither Johnson nor Harrison have said it isn’t.
Harrison also responded to Johnson, saying it’s five rounds before the two went back and forth talking trash to one another. Whatever the case may be, Harrison probably won’t need more than one round.
During his career, Harrison was the most physically imposing player in the NFL. His stare alone was enough to make offensive players shudder, but he was also a massive physical specimen — and he still is — that could lay the wood with the best of them.
It’s 5 rounds @ochocinco 🙄 https://t.co/2X8MKfhk9a
— James Harrison (@jharrison9292) October 2, 2024
Assuming this fight is actually legit, Johnson is at a massive disadvantage in terms of size. He weighed in at around 190 pounds during his playing days, while Harrison was around 240 — and it looks like he might be even bigger now.
James Harrison walking around Steelers Training Camp in an unbranded T-Shirt just glaring at people is a great way to make practices intense 😂 pic.twitter.com/6TnyXTvKyk
— Coach Dan Casey (@CoachDanCasey) August 7, 2024
On a recent episode of the podcast he hosts with Shannon Sharpe, Johnson was talking trash, something he should not be doing for his own well-being.
“James Harrison, I consider him a friend of mine, a great competitor, one of the fiercest defensive players of all time,” Johnson said. “Unbelievable, crazy, animal-like training regimen. And I just owe him an a– whooping. And, just for that, I challenged him to an MMA fight.
“He thinks because of his size, because of him being strong, that really means nothing,” Johnson continued. “So, in the octagon, I’m probably going to beat his a–, just being honest.”
Johnson went on to explain what he thinks Harrison’s approach will be.
“I can tell you what he’s gonna do because of my size,” Johnson said. “He’s gonna be aggressive, he’s gonna rush in not understanding my groundwork is impeccable similar to that of Khabib, and I would probably choke his a– out with a guillotine. That’s what’s gonna happen. He doesn’t have the martial arts background that I do.”
Yeah, good luck with all that. Not even Johnson’s co-host, Sharpe, was buying it and said he believes Harrison will win. Smart decision.
Harrison and Johnson saw plenty of each other during their playing days, as the two were in the same division from 2004-10. Harrison had a stint with the Bengals in 2013, but Johnson was gone by then.
