Power is an advantage in virtually every sport. And UFC light heavyweight Anthony Johnson has more power than just about anyone in mixed martial arts.

Johnson punches so hard that he knocks out opponents with shots that don’t always land cleanly. He’s had that type of concussive power for as long as he can remember.

Johnson, though, wasn’t always as intimidating as he is now, heading into what should be a hellacious fight with Glover Teixeira in the co-main event Saturday of UFC 202 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Johnson has won his last two fights since being submitted by light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 187, and he’s won 11 of his past 12 fights.

If he beats Teixeira on Saturday, he’ll almost certainly get a rematch with Cormier.

The secret for Johnson, other than finding the proper weight class, is understanding his body. Most fighters will tell you they go into a fight with some sort of injury. The rigors of training camp are such that it’s all but impossible to not come out of it banged and bruised.

Anthony Johnson is always looking to land one big shot. (Getty) More

Johnson, though, said he doesn’t have that issue because he doesn’t insist on training through injury. If he’s hurt, if his body is telling him something isn’t right, he pays attention.

It’s almost like many of his peers take it as a sign of their toughness that they battle through camp injuries. Johnson, though, takes the stance that fight night is what matters.

“I never go into a fight really injured,” Johnson said. “If I wake up in the morning and my body is tired and not there physically, I’ll let my coaches know that I’m not going in that day. They understand it because they know that whenever I’m there, I’m going 110 percent.

“And I’ll do the same thing if I’m not there mentally. The practices are supposed to be productive and help you to prepare to fight your best on fight night. And if you get into a situation where maybe you’re not ready to go on a given day because your body is aching or you’re mentally whipped, it’s better to take that time, I believe, and heal up and come back ready to work hard the next day.”

He’ll need to be on top of his game to get past the slugging Teixeira, who has won three in a row, including a vicious first-round knockout of Rashad Evans in April.

Teixeira had lost back-to-back fights to then-champion Jon Jones and Phil Davis prior to the winning streak, but Johnson hasn’t pored over the video to see if he can learn something from what they did and use it against Teixeira.

Johnson is one of the most unique fighters in the UFC with a style that is largely based upon his ability to knock out an opponent with one shot. Much of his fight plan revolves around finding a way to get the big shot off.

Few get up if Johnson lands cleanly.

There are few fighters who possess that kind of power, and few who employ it as effectively as Johnson. Jones took Teixeira apart in their title fight at UFC 172, but Johnson isn’t going to fight the same way as Jones.

Thus, he finds video not all that significant.

“I watched that fight a long time ago, but I haven’t looked at it again,” Johnson said. “I know what I need to do and what I can do. It’s about being efficient and understanding what you need to do.

“We all know that Glover hits hard and is dangerous on his feet. And what makes him so good is that he’s also dangerous on the ground. He’s the real thing. But I feel I can stand with anybody. I’m just going to go out there and do me.”

If Johnson is successful, he’s looking at a rematch with Cormier, who submitted him with a rear-naked choke at UFC 187 to win the vacant title that had been stripped from Jones.

Jones was supposed to rematch Cormier in the main event of UFC 200 for the title, but was yanked from the card after a potential doping violation was discovered. Jones and UFC president Dana White have hinted that there may be a contaminated supplement issue that will allow Jones to return to the UFC sooner than anticipated.

Story continues