Pulls upset of Daniel Zellhuber Johnson defeated Daniel Zellhuber via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at UFC 318 on Saturday in New Orleans. Impact Few gave Johnson a chance in this fight, as evidenced by the fact Zellhuber was a -700 favorite, largest on the entire card. Yet MJ did what he always does. He went about his business, pushed forward, and got the better of his much younger opponent in what was a 15-minute kickboxing match. A Round 2 Johnson knockdown was by far the biggest blow of the night. He did an excellent job of not absorbing much damage in any stanza, even the final round which was the one Zellhuber won on all three scorecards. Johnson lost four in a row from March 2019 to February 2021. The UFC stuck with him and he has responded with wins in five of seven since. MJ isn't any sort of contender in a loaded lightweight division, but his roster spot seems as secure as ever at age 39, a major accomplishment in it's own right.
JULY 20 • ROTOWIRE