On a night full of unexpected events, Tim Johnson and Danilo Marques starred in one of the most talked about fights of the 2024 playoff season of the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Both heavyweights faced each other in a duel that, although it lasted a single round, left the fans with their mouths open and generated a wave of reactions on social networks.
Tim Johnson, a veteran of 39 years With experience in the UFC and Bellator, he stood out from the first minutes of the fight. From the start, both Johnson and his Brazilian opponent, Danilo Marques, showed a fierce determination to win. There was no moment of calm, much less when Both contestants collapsed to the ground simultaneously.
The unusual event occurred with three minutes remaining in the first round. Johnson launched a brutal overhand left that found Marques’ face squarely. However, the South American was not far behind and He responded immediately with a front knee. which hit Johnson directly in the groin. Both fighters fell to the ground in a scene that left everyone, including the spectators and the combatants themselves, stunned.
As Johnson writhed in pain, Marques quickly stood up and began to declare himself the winner while trying to maintain stability. The fight was stopped immediately and the referee gave Johnson the regulation five minutes to recover from the low blow. This unexpected moment did not go unnoticed on social networks. One user exclaimed: “WOW! First time seeing this in MMA! “That was crazy!” Another added: “A historic moment in our sport. Left hook + double drop.” A third joked: “This might be the funniest moment in MMA history.”
After the regular break, the fight resumed. Johnson, still with the memory of the painful impact, came out with renewed determination to knock out his rival. He implemented a series of low kicks that finally took Marques down. Without losing time, Johnson launched a barrage of blows at his opponent’s head, forcing the referee to intervene and declare the end of the fight.
The impressive performance earned Johnson six points for finishing the fight in the first round, thus ensuring their advancement to the PFL playoffs. This win moved his career record to 18 wins and 9 losses, thereby reaching the tenth knockout of his career. Now, Johnson is among four finalists who will fight for a place in the final fight, where the winner will take home a million-dollar prize.
After the fight, Johnson shared his impressions about the crucial moment of the fight. “I had no idea I had connected it,” he confessed at the moment of the double impact. “That hurts. Definitely It was the worst groin blow I’ve ever had. I didn’t know. I heard everyone booing and I thought, ‘Sorry guys, I got kicked in the groin. I’m trying’. But then I discovered that they were booing Danilo.”
