UFC lightweight veteran Michael Johnson pulled off the biggest upset of the night at UFC 318.
Despite being a significant underdog entering his fight with a talented fan favorite, Michael Johnson kicked off a new chapter of his career in a wild firefight at UFC 318.
Johnson, 39, entered UFC 318 off of back-to-back wins and nearing a potential return to the lightweight Top 15. Facing an opponent 13 years younger than him, Johnson showcased experience and speed against surging star Daniel Zellhuber.
Michael Johnson scores huge upset win on Dustin Poirier’s retirement card
Johnson opened up the fight by putting Zellhuber on his back foot and outpacing the young star on the feet. Johnson showed off a clear speed advantage over the 6’1″ Zellhuber, who opted to take a kick-heavy approach to counter Johnson’s advances.
In Round 2, Johnson dropped Zellhuber with a massive right hook to the jaw that nearly finished his rival. But Zellhuber was able to scramble out of trouble and limit the damage, making it to the end of the round in what many believed was a closely-contested bout.
In Round 3, Johnson sealed the deal with pace and pressure, and controlled Zellhuber on the canvas after scoring a slick takedown. After three rounds of action, Johnson walked away with a stunning unanimous decision victory to hand Zellhuber his second consecutive UFC defeat.
Johnson’s win came just hours before his one-time rival, Dustin Poirier, made his final walk to the Octagon in the UFC 318 headliner. Johnson knocked out Poirier in brutal fashion in September 2016 to earn a showdown with then-contender Khabib Nurmagomedov.
As for Zellhuber, the loss to Johnson drops the talented Mexican brawler to 3-3 in his UFC lightweight tenure. Zellhuber and Esteban Ribovics spoiled fans with a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate at UFC 306.
Johnson earned a pay-per-view showcase at UFC 318 after a one-punch KO in his most-recent fight at UFC Tampa in December. He knocked out Ottman Azaitar to get back into the lightweight mix after an up-and-down recent tenure in the lightweight division.
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UFC 318 featured a controversial decision, wild knockouts, and slick subs
The UFC 318 undercard didn’t disappoint on Saturday in the promotion’s long-awaited return to New Orleans.
The action began with a late knockout by hometown hero, Carli Judice, in the first fight of the UFC 318 prelims. Ateba Gautier and Brunno Ferreira earned wild finishes to continue their ascents in the middleweight division.
A welterweight matchup between Nikolay Veretennikov and Francisco Prado was marred by a controversial result in the eyes of many UFC fans. Veretennikov got the split decision nod for his first promotional win, despite many believing Prado deserved the victory.
UFC 318 was headlined by a BMF title matchup between Max Holloway and Johnson’s former rival, Poirier.