Tag: Tim Johnson

Tim Johnson reflects on absurd low blow at 2024 PFL 4: ‘I haven’t been hit in the groin like that ever’

After a gruesome shot to the testicles, Tim Johnson clinched a PFL playoff spot in abrupt fashion.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] clinched a playoff spot in abrupt fashion at 2024 PFL 4.

Johnson (18-9) scored a first-round TKO of Danilo Marques on Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena, but had to deal with some adversity first.

In an all-time unusual sequence, Johnson absorbed a groin shot, but tagged Marques simultaneously. This resulted in both fighters crashing to the canvas. After he utilized his time to recover, Johnson charged at Marques and dropped him with a right hand. Johnson finished Marques off moments later with ground-and-pound.

“I haven’t been hit in the groin like that ever,” Johnson told MMA Junkie and other reporters after the fight at Mohegan Sun Arena. “In practice, in a fight, that was a instant. I ate two good kicks from Danilo. He started the fight with a body kick and that really – I thought I was going to go down.

“It took a lot for me to stay on my feet. It was a instant pain, didn’t even know I rolled, didn’t even know that I landed a shot until everybody was talking about it afterwards. Hopefully that doesn’t happen again. I don’t like that.”

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Johnson will meet Denis Goltsov in the 2024 PFL heavyweight semifinals. He got his wish of making the playoffs, and now hopes to have a longterm future with PFL.

Johnson parted ways with Bellator shortly before the two brands merged and was brought back for this fight as a short notice replacement.

“Hopefully no injuries or (anything) too bad and things line up score wise,” Johnson said, prior to the playoff clinch. “Maybe sneak my way into the tournament. I got to skip half of it.

“So, don’t have to wait till next season to maybe sneak my way into a million dollars. Maybe I can do it this year. Hopefully I found a home (with PFL), and I’m able to stay here. Give it actual real try one more time.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2024, Week 4.

2024 PFL 4 video: Tim Johnson gets punted in groin, recovers to finish Danilo Marques with strikes

A bizarre visual occurred at PFL when two heavyweights simultaneously toppled – one for a knockdown blow and one for a punt to the nuts.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The fight between [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Danilo Marques[/autotag] was nuts – pun intended.

At 2024 PFL 4, Johnson (18-9) overcame a punting kick to the groin, turned the tables, and finished Marques (15-5) with punches at 3:14 of Round 1. The event took place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The kick occurred in the opening minutes. At the point of contact, Johnson also dropped Marques, which made for a bizarre visual. Johnson utilized his time to recover, however, and did more than that. He came out with a head full of steam and dropped Marques with a right hand. He pounced and finished the fight with punches after he trapped Marques’ arm.

Johnson, who was a free agent brought in by PFL for the heavyweight season as a late replacment, notched six points in the promotion’s standings.

The up-to-the-minute 2024 PFL 4 results include:

  • Tim Johnson def. Danilo Marques via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:14
  • Juliana Velasquez def. Lisa Mauldin via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 1:30
  • Sumiko Inaba def. Saray Orozco via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL 4.

Commanders season opener in 78 days: Washington’s best No. 78?

Some good players have worn the No. 78 jersey for Washington.

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Commanders Wire continues a countdown to the Commanders season opener for 2023 in 78 days. Who was Washington’s best player wearing number 78?

Ron Snidow was a defensive tackle/end for Washington from 1963-67. The former Oregon Duck collected 6.5, 5.0, 5.5 and 7.5 sacks in the 1964 through 1967 seasons. In his five Washington seasons, he totaled 24.5 sacks while recovering 7 fumbles.

Bruce Smith came to Washington in 2000, playing his last four seasons for the Redskins. With the Bills for 15 seasons, Smith totaled 171 sacks. In his last four seasons, Smith was 37 to 40 years of age. Yet he still produced sack totals of 10, 5, 9 and 5. Smith also forced 8 fumbles (recovered one) and registered 36 tackles for a loss.

Kory Lichtensteiger started 75 of his 77 games in his 7 seasons in Washington. From 2010-2013, Lichtensteiger spent most of his time at left guard before playing primarily at center in 2014-2016. He was a major factor up front during the 2012 season in which Alfred Morris rushed for 1,613 yards and Robert Griffin added 815 yards.

Tim Johnson wasn’t drafted until the 6th round (141 overall) out of Penn State. Not known for his movement, Johnson became a bull inside at defensive tackle for the Redskins from 1990-1995. He also forced three fumbles and recovered four. Johnson generated 20.5 sacks for Washington and started every game for the 1991 Super Bowl Championship team, teaming with Eric Williams to form a tremendous run-stopping duo of defensive tackles.

From a car wreck to kidney stones, Tim Johnson details ‘one heck of a fight camp’ before Bellator 294

A series of unfortunate events during his Bellator 294 fight camp nearly cost Tim Johnson more than just missing a fight.

HONOLULU – Bellator heavyweight [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] made it to Hawaii to compete in the co-main event of Bellator 294, but some unfortunate events during fight camp nearly ruined everything.

Johnson (16-9 MMA, 4-5 BMMA) went through a lot in the weeks leading up to his fight against Said Sowma at Neal S. Blaisdell Center. The pressure of needing to snap a three-fight skid to keep his job was one thing, but the unexpected physical hurdles made the entire situation surrounding Johnson’s 25th professional fight so much worse.

“This fight camp has been filled with more adversity than I have in any other fight camp put together,” Johnson told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the post-fight news conference. “I started off with a car accident that I have no idea how I walked away from. I’m going to put photos up on my Instagram that just show basically the chain of events that happened this fight camp.

“I’m gonna put this out: Everyone make sure you wear your seat belts. I was not wearing mine like an idiot, because I took it off moments before. I rear-ended someone going about 70 miles an hour, and I have no idea how I’m awake or alive at all. That’s how I started off my fight camp. My neck was jacked up pretty good for a couple weeks.”

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While Johnson was fortunate to walk away from the car wreck without any serious injuries, his fight camp woes didn’t stop there.

“Then I had some stuff going on with stomach issues,” Johnson explained. “I went to the ER four total times. They couldn’t figure out what was going on. Figured it was gastritis and then an ulcer. Then three weeks ago I was back in the ER, and finally found out what the problem was: I was pregnant. I had some kidney stones and that was the problem of everything. So, this has been one heck of a fight camp.”

Johnson defeated Sowma by unanimous decision, winning two rounds on all three judges’ scorecards. For now, he can exhale a bit before it’s time to prepare for another fight – one that hopefully comes without so many challenges in camp.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 294.

Bellator 294 post-event facts: Liz Carmouche crafting strong stats during title reign

Liz Carmouche is making her footprint on the Bellator record books after recording another title defense at Bellator 294.

The first half of Bellator’s doubleheader in Hawaii went down Friday with Bellator 294, which took place at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu and saw a champion defend her title in the main event.

[autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (19-7 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) recorded a second consecutive defense of her women’s flyweight title when she rallied from a 3-0 deficit on the scorecards to submit [autotag]DeAnna Bennett[/autotag] (13-8-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) with an arm-triangle choke in the fourth frame of their rematch.

For more on the numbers behind Carmouche’s win, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts form Bellator 294.

UFC veterans in MMA and boxing action April 21-23

Check out which UFC veterans are in MMA and boxing action across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC is back in Las Vegas at the UFC Apex for a heavyweight showdown. In the main event, [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] in a fight scheduled for five rounds.

Elsewhere, many other MMA and boxing events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

This weekend, there are a total of 18 veterans of the global MMA leader competing in MMA and boxing this week from April 21-23.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

Sara McMann’s debut, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane’s return, more added to Bellator’s Hawaii doubleheader

Sara McMann will begin the next chapter of her career in Bellator when the promotion returns to Honolulu in April.

Former UFC title challenger [autotag]Sara McMann[/autotag] has a date and opponent for her Bellator debut.

McMann will take on veteran and former Bellator title challenger [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 6-3 BMMA) in a women’s featherweight bout at Bellator 294. The event is part of a two-night series set to go down on April 21 and April 22, which marks Bellator’s return to Hawaii.

News of the matchup was announced Wednesday by the promotion.

Both Bellator 294 and Bellator 295 go down at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu.

McMann (13-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was last seen in action in March, when she defeated Karol Rosa by unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 33. That was her only fight in 2022. McMann was scheduled to make a return in two other separate occasions in 2022, one in August and the other in September, against Aspen Ladd, but both bouts fell through due to Ladd’s weight-cutting issues. Following the cancelations, McMann was released from her final fight of her UFC contract, and she signed with Bellator shortly after.

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Additionally on that card, a heavyweight matchup between [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Said Sowma[/autotag] will serve as the co-main event. Johnson (15-9 MMA, 3-5 BMMA) looks to snap a three-fight losing streak. His last win came against Cheick Kongo back in 2020. Sowma (8-4 MMA, 2-3 BMMA) looks to snap a losing streak himself as he lost his two most recent bouts.

Bellator 295 also saw an addition to its lineup. Former women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] returns against top contender [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag].

Both fighters look to build momentum and turn it into streaks as Macfarlane (12-2 MMA, 11-1 BMMA) is coming off a decision win over Bruna Ellen last August, while Watanabe (11-1-1MMA, 3-1 BMMA) is on the heels of a submission finish over Denise Kielholtz last May.

Below are the updated lineups for both Bellator 294 and Bellator 295:

Bellator 294

  • Liz Carmouche vs. DeAnna Bennett
  • Tim Johnson vs. Said Sowma
  • Arlene Blencowe vs. Sara McMann

Bellator 295

  • Raufeon Stots vs. Patchy Mix
  • Adil Edwards vs. Kai Kamaka III
  • Charlie Leary vs. Yancy Medeiros
  • Keoni Diggs vs. Weber Almeida
  • Sumiko Inaba vs. Veta Arteaga
  • Bobby King vs. Aalon Cruz
  • Davion Franklin vs. Kasim Aras

Bellator 277 results: Linton Vassell flips the script, pulls off improbable comeback over Tim Johnson

Linton Vassell nearly lost at multiple points in the fight – but somehow flipped the script in a blink to win via TKO.

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Things weren’t going in the favor of [autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag] until they were.

After multiple near-stoppages by his opponent [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] (15-9 MMA, 3-5 BMMA), somehow, someway, Vassell (22-8 MMA, 11-5 BMMA) rallied to pull off a TKO stoppage due to ground-and-pound at 4:21 of Round 1.

Bellator 277 took place Friday at SAP Center, headlined by a featherweight title rematch between A.J. McKee and Patricio Freire.

Vassell was in trouble early, as Johnson rocked him badly enough the Brit felt the need to shoot for a takedown. Johnson stuffed Vassell into the canvas hard, as he swung around to land punches from the top. Vassell tried to escape and eventually rose to his feet, but his equilibrium did not.

As the two fighters moved up, Vassell toppled over again – still shook from Johnson’s punches. Johnson ran full speed and crashed his body into his downed opponent. More heavy ground-and-pound came. Referee Blake Grice kept a close eye on things, but elected to stay away.

Vassell grabbed hold of a leg and reversed Johnson. From there, he quickly moved into mount. Punch after punch, Vassell calmly landed. Johnson, bloodied, tried to escape – but couldn’t until the referee waved things off.

With the win, Vassell has won four fights in a row, possibly positioning himself for a title opportunity. Meanwhile, Johnson is now on a three-fight skid.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 277 results include:

  • Linton Vassell def. Tim Johnson via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:21
  • Tyson Miller def. Khalan Gracie via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00
  • Tyrell Fortune def. Rakim Cleveland via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:38
  • Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov def. Rafael Carvalho via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:04
  • Bobby Seronio III def. Calob Ramirez via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 2:14
  • Gaston Bolanos def. Daniel Carey via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:59
  • Kyle Crutchmer def. Michael Lombardo via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Edwin De Los Santos def. Alberto Martinez Mendez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Rogelio Luna def. Socrates Hernandez via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:48
  • Laird Anderson def. J.T. Donaldson via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:44
  • Theo Haig def. Alan Benson via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:08

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Bellator 277 salaries: A.J. McKee, Patricio Freire lead the pack of guaranteed purses

At Bellator 277, A.J. McKee, Patricio Freire, Vadim Nemkov, and Corey Anderson are set to lead disclosed fighter payouts.

SAN JOSE, Calif – Bellator 277 takes place Friday at SAP Center where three fighters are scheduled to take home six-figure paydays regardless of outcome.

At the 14-fight event, MMA Junkie acquired a list of disclosed salaries from California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster.

In the main event, champion [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] and former champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] square off in a title rematch. Both fighters had a disclosed payday of $250,000 flat. The co-main event is a grand prix final. Light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov (on an $80,000 to show/$80,000 to win basis) and Corey Anderson ($250,000 flat) will collide with the winner making an additional $1 million.

The total payout or show money is $1.378 million. Check out the full list of payouts below. The story will be updated with exact disclosed payouts at the conclusion of the event.