FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) — After making a name for himself with a 64-second knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series, Fond du Lac native Donte Johnson took the next step in his mixed martial arts career — making his UFC debut in Las Vegas on Saturday.
High School Football: Plenty of local teams punch tickets to level three of the playoffs
Johnson, who entered the night undefeated at 6-0 with six straight first-round knockouts, went the distance longer than ever before — earning a submission midway through the second round of his first UFC fight. The win keeps his perfect record intact, moving him to 7-0 overall.
At Fond du Lac Beer Company, dozens of family members, friends, and fight fans gathered for a watch party to cheer on their hometown fighter.
“The support for Donte is incredible here,” Johnson’s longtime striking coach Mike Biddle said. “He grew up here and has lived here his whole life. I trained his dad, his brother, his nephew — it’s been awesome to see the rise.”
Biddle, who has worked with multiple generations of Johnson’s family, says the debut fight showed off another layer of Donte’s skill set.
“He’s an awesome wrestler — people don’t know that,” Biddle said. “He wrestled his whole life and was a great wrestler for Fondy. That untapped part of his game will really make the difference as he goes higher and higher.”
Molly Tynan, owner of Knockouts Kickboxing in Fond du Lac, said watching Johnson progress from local gyms to the UFC spotlight has been “incredible.”
“I met Donte six years ago when he was training at Unified Mixed Martial Arts,” Tynan said. “It’s been so cool to see him grow and see where determination gets you.”
Johnson’s sister, Nakiah, says his humility and focus haven’t changed despite his growing success.
“Donte’s very humble. I asked him if he’s ready and he said, ‘You already know.’ He doesn’t operate out of ego — he operates out of spirit,” she said.
Officials in talks to bring professional soccer to Green Bay
Before Saturday, Johnson had only spent about 12 minutes total in the cage over his six professional fights. A full UFC bout can last up to 15 minutes, putting into perspective how dominant his early finishes have been.
Now 7-0, Johnson’s coaches say the sky’s the limit for the 27-year-old fighter — and the city that helped raise him will be cheering every step of the way.
