Tag: Tim Johnson

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.

Bellator shuffles things up, splits Tyrell Fortune vs. Tim Johnson rematch into two contender fights

A tweak to the Bellator 277 lineup sees a heavyweight rematch split and the two fighters booked against different opponents.

Originally scheduled for a rematch at Bellator 277 on April 15 in San Jose, Calif., [autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] and [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] have been split by the promotion and will face different opponents.

On Monday, a Bellator official informed MMA Junkie that Fortune (11-2 MMA, 11-2 BMMA) will face undefeated rising heavyweight [autotag]Steve Mowry[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA), and Johnson (15-4 MMA, 3-4 BMMA) will take on surging contender [autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag] (21-8 MMA, 10-5 BMMA).

Fortune, 31, will look to bounce back from a split decision loss to Vassell in November. The defeat snapped a three-fight winning streak.

Mowry, 29, finally gets a booking against a top-ranked contender. With an unblemished record to date, Mowry has racked up 10 finishes with six submissions and four finishes due to strikes as a professional.

Johnson, 36, seeks his first win in three attempts, on the heels of back-to-back defeats against Fedor Emelianenko and Valentin Moldavsky.

Vassell, 38, has gained momentum in recent fights. Since his move to heavyweight in 2019, Vassell has gone 3-1 and rides three consecutive wins over Sergei Kharitonov, Ronny Markes, and Tyrell Fortune into Bellator 277.

With the additions, the Bellator 277 lineup includes:

  • Champion A.J. McKee vs. Patricio Freire – for featherweight title
  • Champion Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson – for light heavyweight title, grand prix final
  • Jeremy Kennedy vs. Aaron Pico
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Steve Mowry
  • Tim Johnson vs. Linton Vassell
  • Kyle Crutchmer vs. Michael Lombardo
  • Shane Keefe vs. Tyson Miller
  • Gaston Bolanos vs. Cass Bell
  • Alan Benson vs. Theo Haig
  • Edwin De Los Santos vs. Alberto Mendez
  • Calob Ramirez vs. Bobby Seronio III

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MMA Junkie’s 2021 Gym of the Year: Xtreme Couture

Xtreme Couture took home two UFC titles and a host of other major promotion wins.

Xtreme Couture is MMA Junkie’s 2021 Gym of the Year.

In a year filled with ups and downs for the majority of high-profile MMA gyms, Xtreme Couture quietly built up a strong 2021 resume with two UFC titles and assisting numerous other fighters to go undefeated over the 12-month stretch.

Heavyweight [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and bantamweight [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] both captured UFC titles in 2021 with lead-up preparation at Xtreme Couture.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] emerged as a top middleweight contender with back-to-back wins over Krzysztof Jotko and Uriah Hall, and [autotag]Casey O’Neill[/autotag] skyrocketed up the women’s flyweight rankings with three straight victories. In addition, [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] won MMA Junkie’s 2021 Comeback Fighter of the Year for his improbable 6-0 run including two wins in the UFC.

In Bellator, top contenders [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] and [autotag]Mads Burnell[/autotag] called Xtreme Couture their training home and each went 2-0 in the calendar year with wins against some of the promotion’s finest.

Other notable fighters include [autotag]Miesha Tate[/autotag], [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag], [autotag]Brad Tavares[/autotag], [autotag]Manel Kape[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag], [autotag]Walt Harris[/autotag], [autotag]Cheyanne Buys[/autotag], [autotag]Kai Kamaka III[/autotag], [autotag]Julian Erosa[/autotag], [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag], [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Ion Cutelaba[/autotag], [autotag]Roman Dolize[/autotag], [autotag]Gustavo Lopez[/autotag], [autotag]Dalcha Lungiambula[/autotag], [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag], [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag], and more.

Headed by coach Eric Nicksick, the staff also includes Eddie Barraco, Jimmy Gifford, Jake Shields, Dennis Davis, Roman Isabell, Rich Castro, Chad Lyman, Bryce Harley, Montel Williams, Jamie Huey, Nate Pettit, Tim Lane, Danny Davis, Gil Guardado, Ryan Couture, Clinton Treadway and more, as well as team captains Randy Couture and Ray Sefo (according to the gym’s official website).

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‘Let him savor this thing’: No rush on deciding Fedor’s next move after stunning Bellator 269 win

When will “The Last Emperor” have his final fight? Fedor Emelianenko and boss Scott Coker weigh in.

[autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] did it again.

In the Bellator 269 headliner Saturday, Emelianenko (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) fought for the first time in almost two years and flattened [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] with a first-round knockout combination. For both “The Last Emperor” and his current promoter, Scott Coker, the promotion’s debut in Moscow was a special one.

“I’m really happy everything worked out the same way we were thinking (it would),” Emelianenko told MMA Junkie through an interpreter at a virtual post-fight news conference. “I’m very happy for the fact we made happy the audience, and we delivered really such great joy to our fans, to those who follow our career and Bellator events.”

Coker echoed the sentiment and called it a “special night.”

“Being a promoter for so long, there’s a few times that just capture that moment in time,” Coker said. “This is that night. It was like, ‘Wow.’ At 45, he can still bring it. He threw combinations at Tim that I haven’t seen for a little while honestly. I think that the pressure of him being at home really helped him. When I saw him yesterday, he seemed so focused, and I think a lot was riding on the line for him. He’s here, and he’s proud to be here. All of his people were here. It was just an amazing night. It was like, ‘Wow.'”

The bout vs. Johnson has long been touted as the first leg of a two-fight “retirement tour” for the heavyweight MMA legend, though more recently Emelianenko has been non-committal about his future beyond Bellator 269.

So will Emelianenko fight again?

“I will answer this question tomorrow,” Emelianenko said, with a smile.

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Emelianenko, 45, said he needs to go home and discuss his fighting future with his family before he commits. However, if another fight does happen, Emelianenko likes the idea of fighting in the U.S.

“It is a lot easier for me to perform in America,” Emelianenko said. “I don’t have such huge, huge attention. I do get attention, but all of the events are strictly planned. At home, all our camp and our preparation for the fight, they took place under the supervision of media, journalists, and so far and so on.”

While Coker was equally as passive when prodded about the final fight remaining on Emelianenko’s Bellator deal, he did provide a timeline he’d aim for the final fight of the Russian legend’s career, should he commit to it.

“We have scheduled one more fight for him,” Coker said. “I know him. He’s looked really good and beat (a top) contender, but let him enjoy the victory. Let him really savor this thing, and we’ll revisit with him maybe in a month. I think the next event we’ll have, we’ll probably schedule it early next year or maybe Spring of next year. That’s when you’ll see Fedor fight again.”

Bellator 269 took place Saturday at VTB Arena in Moscow. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Bellator 269 results: Fedor Emelianenko flattens Tim Johnson with three-punch knockout

“The Last Emperor” isn’t done yet.

“The Last Emperor” isn’t done yet.

After two years away from the cage, 45-year-old [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] returned Saturday at Bellator 269 when he knocked [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] unconscious at 1:46 of Round 1.

The heavyweight fight headlined the event, which took place Saturday at VTB Arena in Moscow. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

The excitement in the venue built with the walkouts. Johnson leaned into the U.S.A. vs. Russia theme, as he strolled to the cage to Hulk Hogan’s theme song “Real American.” Meanwhile, Emelianenko made his way to the cage with his vintage Russian walkout song blaring through the home arena.

The fight began, as did the “Fedor, Fedor, Fedor” chants. There wasn’t much of a feeling-out process as both men opened up early. Emelianenko (40-6 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) looked like the lighter fighter as he bounced around. Johnson (15-8 MMA, 3-4 BMMA), meanwhile, stayed a lot more stationary as he looked for a big punch.

Both men landed in the exchanges, but around the 90-second mark of the fight, Emelianenko found the home for a hard combination. Stunned, Johnson opened himself up as he stood square to the Russian legend. Emelianenko uncorked a hellacious three-punch combo that folded Johnson over backward. No follow-up shots were thrown as Fedor walked off.

With the win, Emelianenko advances to 3-1 in his most recent four fights. He also holds wins over Frank Mir, Chael Sonnen, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in Bellator. After Saturday’s win, Emelianenko has one fight remaining on his Bellator contract, which is expected to take place in 2022.

As for Johnson, the American falls to 0-2 in as many outings. The skid comes on the heels of a three-fight winning streak that earned him an interim title shot in June.

The latest Bellator 269 results include:

  • Fedor Emelianenko def. Tim Johnson via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:46
  • Said Sowma def. Vitaly Minakov via TKO (doctor stoppage) Round 3, 3:08
  • Usman Nurmagomedov def. Patrik Pietila via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:06
  • Anatoly Tokov def. Sharaf Davlatmurodov via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Kirill Sidelnikov def. Rab Truesdale via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:01
  • Katarzyna Sadura def. Darina Mazdyuk via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:17
  • Irina Alekseeva def. Stephanie Page via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Nikita Mikhailov def. Brian Moore via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Alexey Shurkevich def. Grachik Bozinyan via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:25
  • Aiden Lee def. Alexander Osetrov via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:41