After four straight fights reached the judges, UFC heavyweight Tim Johnson said before Saturday’s showdown with Junior Albini on Long Island that he had hopes of stopping his Brazilian foe early.
Instead, Albini landed a left-right combination near the close of the first round, dropping Johnson, a former sergeant in the Minnesota National Guard. Albini closed to finish him off, and referee John McCarthy handed Johnson his first-ever loss by stoppage.
Johnson (11-4, 3-3 UFC) called it a ”flash knockout“ in a post-fight Instagram post and pledged ”two steps forward” after this setback:
It was the 10th win in a row for Albini, who was victorious in his UFC debut.
Johnson told Military Times prior to Saturday’s bout that he had two fights remaining on his UFC contract. He entered the fight ranked No. 12 by the promotion in the heavyweight division.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
