After an extended layoff following his retirement from mixed martial arts, Jimmy Flick returned to action at UFC Vegas 67, where he took on former LFA champ Charles Johnson.
For Flick, once considered a top prospect at 125lbs, it was his first action since December 2020 win against Cody Durden. Johnson, 1-1 in the organization, was coming in off his own, more recent win over Zhalgas Zhumagulov.
The first UFC fight of 2023 went to the ground early, with the returning Flick initiating the takedown, only to be reversed on the mat. Flick would escape back to his feet, but not before taking a bit of damage from Johnson. Flick would then slip, and belly flop, off a high kick, perhaps a sign of some ring rust after all that time away.
Johnson then got his hands going, putting together a combo the included both body and head. Teep kicks were there for Johnson as well, and he soon had Flick on his back foot. And teep appeared to hurt Flick, but he hid it well, flashed a high kick, then dropped to his knees for a takedown attempt against the fence. Flick landed that and attacked the back, only to slip off to one side. As a result, Johnson would end up on top, dropping elbows and hammer fists on a bloodied Jimmy Flick until the ref waved it off.
Flick wasn’t loving the stoppage, but as long as it lasted, the fight was all Charles Johnson.
Bringing that ππππππ, indeed!!! @InnerGMMA gets the TKO to kick things off! π€ #UFCVegas67 pic.twitter.com/XAPZTcvhyy
— UFC (@ufc) January 14, 2023
Your first fight of the year ends in a finish! That’s now two straight wins for Johnson, who picks up his first finish inside the octagon. “Being tough ain’t enough at this point. These guys are all champions,” said ‘Inner G’ following the win, who also announced that he had a baby girl on the way.
Official Result: Charles Johnson def. Jimmy Flick by TKO, Round 1, 4:33
