Demetrious Johnson is a firm believer in the sporting aspect of mixed martial arts. Which is to say that he believes champions — like he is — should rightfully face whoever is next in line for the title shot.

Johnson has for the most part practiced what he preaches as the flyweight titleholder. And he think Michael Bisping defending his middleweight belt against Georges St-Pierre is not the logical move.

“He should be fighting Yoel Romero,” Johnson told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “Yoel Romero has beaten everybody. He hasn’t fought Yoel Romero. That’s the No. 1 contender.”

Romero is the top contender and that is hard to dispute. He has never lost in the UFC and is coming off a devastating knockout victory over Chris Weidman, the former champ, at UFC 205 back in November. In eight UFC victories, the former Olympic wrestling silver medalist has six finishes.

“I don’t have a problem with GSP fighting Michael Bisping,” Johnson said. “I think if GSP came back and fought a top-five middleweight and beat that person, and then got a title shot, I think people would be more accepting.”

However, the UFC has tabbed St-Pierre, the former welterweight champion, as next in line for Bisping’s title right away. Never mind that St-Pierre has not fought in more than three years and has never fought at middleweight in the UFC. It’s obvious why the promotion has gone in this direction: GSP is a top draw and can generate more pay-per-view buys that Romero or any other middleweight contender.

“I think they do a little bit of both,” Johnson said of the UFC’s balance between merit and money. “I think there’s a little bit of sport, there’s a little entertainment. Obviously, at the end of the day, UFC, WME and IMG, they're a business. They’ve gotta make sure they make back that $4.2 billion they purchased the company for.”

And Bisping stands to benefit financially from the increased profile of the fight and the amount of people who will buy it. So it’s hard for someone who has toiled for so long as a contender to turn down those kinds of millions. Bisping is 38 years old and closer to the end of his career than the beginning. In that way, Johnson understands, but he doesn’t think it should be for the belt necessarily.

“Then when you’re at the tail end of your career and you’re like, ‘alright, I’m almost done and I’m just looking at the big fights,’ then you can do that,” Johnson said.

Johnson, 30, has sporting goals, rather than monetary ones at this juncture. When he faces Wilson Reis at UFC on FOX 24 on April 15 in Kansas City, he’ll be attempting to tie Anderson Silva’s record of the most title defenses (10) in UFC history. Tying and breaking that record is something “Mighty Mouse” has been gunning for, going back to his last four fights or so, he said.

“Five feels like four and three,” Johnson said. “I guess let’s shoot for 10. That’s what Anderson Silva has and everybody keeps talking about Anderson Silva as the greatest middleweight of all time. He’s held the belt the longest in UFC history.”

Johnson wants to cement his legacy as one of the best champions of all time. Then, maybe, he’ll go that sought-after money fight route.