Demetrious Johnson Urges WingedC to Build Strength After First Pro MMA Win

WingedC has his first professional MMA win, but Demetrious Johnson sees a bigger test ahead: turning flashes of skill into a repeatable training routine. Johnson praised Malcolm Schuyler after his unanimous decision victory at APFC 26, then pointed to strength and conditioning, hard pad rounds and more sparring as the work he wants to see before the next fight.

That advice arrives with Schuyler’s immediate plans in doubt. The 25-year-old said he shattered multiple bones in his hand during the bout and expects to need surgery. He had been scheduled to make his bare-knuckle boxing debut against Tim Yanc at BKFC Fight Night Hershey on December 4, but the injury appears to put that matchup in question.

Johnson sees a foundation to build

Johnson shared a video breaking down Schuyler’s latest performance a few days after the fight. The former UFC flyweight champion said he was “proud” of the progress, which brought Schuyler’s professional record to 1-1. The result followed a capoeira kick that dropped his opponent, one of the defining moments on the way to the decision.

Schuyler, known as WingedC and associated with Street Beefs, has trained and sparred with Johnson before. Their previous sessions have drawn attention online, including one workout in which Johnson dropped him with a head kick. That history gives Johnson a close view of the gap between an entertaining moment and the preparation needed to sustain a career in MMA.

His prescription was specific. “I would like for him to start a strength and conditioning program,” Johnson said. He added that Schuyler needs “hard pad rounds” and “more sparring rounds,” and emphasized that his own amateur preparation included strength and conditioning comparable to that of a professional athlete.

Here’s the thing: Johnson isn’t describing one adjustment to a single technique. He’s asking for a training structure that supports the demands of a full fight. Strength and conditioning can help an athlete prepare to repeat high-output efforts, while pad work and sparring provide rounds to rehearse striking and respond to an opponent. Johnson’s point is that those pieces belong together in the routine.

Schuyler’s capoeira kick supplied the standout highlight at APFC 26, but a memorable finish to a sequence doesn’t answer every question about development. Johnson’s comments shift the focus from the highlight to the less visible work that takes place between fights. For an emerging professional, building that base can shape how consistently skills show up under pressure.

A hand injury changes the near-term picture

Schuyler said the damage involved all of the metacarpals in his hand. “I shattered all of the metacarpals of my hand,” he said, adding that he hit his opponent so hard that he shattered his own hand. He also said surgery was needed to address the problem and expressed concern that he could lose functionality and be unable to make a fist if it wasn’t repaired.

The injury turns the next step into a question of recovery before training or competition. Schuyler had a bare-knuckle boxing debut on the calendar against Tim Yanc at BKFC Fight Night Hershey on December 4. Given his account of the damage and expected surgery, that appearance appears unlikely, though the source provides no confirmed update on the bout or a return timeline.

Schuyler used humor to describe the setback, joking that he had reached “peak anime character” status by punching hard enough to break his own bones. The joke doesn’t make the injury minor: he also said he hoped he would not lose functionality in his left hand. For a fighter, that concern affects the most basic actions in training, from forming a fist to striking and defending.

The timing also complicates Johnson’s advice. Strength work, pad rounds and sparring may be the priorities for Schuyler’s development, but an injured hand limits when he can safely resume those activities. The immediate path depends on the surgery and recovery; the source doesn’t establish when he’ll be cleared to train again.

What the first win can and can’t tell us

A 1-1 professional record leaves Schuyler early in his career, with limited results from which to draw conclusions. The APFC 26 victory gives him a positive result and a striking moment to build on. Johnson’s response, though, puts the emphasis on the process that comes next: a structured physical program, demanding pad work and more time sparring.

For now, the hand injury interrupts that process before it can be put into practice. The December 4 matchup with Yanc is in doubt, and Schuyler’s return date remains unclear. His next meaningful step is recovering enough to train, then showing whether the routine Johnson outlined can turn an eye-catching first win into steadier professional progress.

Johnson’s reaction and advice are available in his coverage. Schuyler’s capoeira-kick win was reported here, and the earlier sparring session in which Johnson dropped him with a head kick is documented here. Schuyler’s injury comments appeared in an Instagram post.