After jumping into the PFL season on short notice, former Bellator MMA heavyweight Tim Johnson made the most of his opportunity, shocking many with a knockout of fellow UFC vet Danilo Marques.
Johnson (18-9) was as shocked as anyone at the finish, which included a double knockdown of sorts: Johnson landed an overhand left that dropped Danilo, which Marques landed a low blow that send Johnson himself to the ground.
“I was surprised. I was surprised. I didn’t even know I’d made contact with him. I was happy I got the finish, because if I worked that tough, and then watched it back knowing I had been that close to a victory, I would have been pretty pissed about it,” Johnson told Cageside Press in an exclusive interview ahead of his returned at PFL Nashville this Friday. “I was a one in a million shot, and hopefully no one has to relive that.”
On the low blow, Johnson joked that it may lead to a new nickname. “Tim ‘Titanium’ Johnson” being one suggestion.
After six points and landing in the playoffs after sitting at home working his day job, Johnson is in a good spot. He reiterated during Wednesday’s media day that there was no pressure on him, having a bit of a Cinderella story. In his interview with Cageside Press, he said simply that “I’m just rolling. I don’t have— I have no worries. Whatever happens, happens. Let’s just go out and fight, let’s throw some hands, let’s see what happens. I’m sure this fight I’ll probably be a six to one underdog. I have literally no pressure on me whatsoever. I’m just going to go out there and let ‘er go.”
While it feels a little like playing with house money, however, “that doesn’t mean I’m going to go out there and be stupid,” Johnson added. “But I get to be a little bit more free in the way I fight, just because I’m not so scared, no one expects anything out of me, no one’s really probably going to give me very good odds for winning. Which is fine, that’s how most of my career has been anyway, and I like it that way.”
Johnson, who faces Denis Goltsov in semifinal action at PFL Nashville this Friday, also added his prediction for Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira, expected for later this year.
“In an MMA fight, I will always take Francis.”
Watch our full interview with PFL Nashville heavyweight Tim Johnson above.
