Did UFC fighter Charles Johnson ever compete in the Olympics? Decoding the meaning behind his five-rings back tattoo

UFC flyweight Charles Johnson's body sports tattoos in many places, including a hair tattoo on the back of his head. The most eye-catching piece from his complete ink portfolio is a five-ring tattoo on his upper back that resembles the Olympic Games logo. It has made fans curious about Johnson's competitive history and made them wonder if he competed in the Olympics.

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Did UFC fighter Charles Johnson ever compete in the Olympics?

The five-ring symbol on Johnson's back is encased in the traditional Olympic olive leaf wreath, which is often a feature of the Olympic Games. Despite the elaborate imagery, Charles Johnson has never competed in the Olympics or been a part of it in any capacity. The tattoo has often served to mislead mixed martial arts fans who are not aware of Johnson's background.

Johnson has a strong athletics background and is a two-time AAU track and field champion and was an All-State level wrestler and long-distance runner with impressive steeplechase performances. His true calling lay in mixed martial arts.

'InnerG' was immensely successful during his time at Legacy Fighting Alliance, where he became the flyweight champion.

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Charles Johnson claims the title of "most active mixed martial artist in the world"

Charles Johnson may not have participated in the Olympics but has been busy carving a niche for himself in the world of mixed martial arts. The 33-year-old made his UFC debut with a unanimous decision loss against Muhammad Mokaev in July 2022 and has amassed a 5-4 record in the promotion. On Oct. 19. Johnson will fight Su Mudaerji at UFC Vegas 99.

It will be his 10th competitive appearance within 25 months of being signed with the UFC. During a recent appearance on a Live call-in show on We Want Picks, Johnson expressed his disappointment at not being praised enough for his consistency and high activity level unlike Alex Pereira and Kevin Holland, saying:

"These MFs don't give me my flowers, bro. You don't realize that the stats they're putting up for three years for them [Pereira and Holland], I've done in two."

He added:

"They got 10 fights, I got nine fights. But on Oct. 19, it's going to be 10 fights in two years for their three [years]. If you look at the timeline from when I was in LFA to now, which is three years, I'm on 13 fights. So not gonna lie, I'm the most active mixed martial artist in the world."

Check out Charles Johnson's comments below (1:04:16):