Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Mike Bohn

UFC on ESPN 59 video: Charles Johnson scores stunning upset KO of Joshua Van

Charles Johnson showed once again that he has zero quit in him by rallying to upset Joshua Van at UFC on ESPN 59.

Johnson (16-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) was a sizeable betting underdog to hyped flyweight prospect Van (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), and for the first two rounds at Ball Arena in Denver, it looked like he was slightly out of his depth and en route to a decision loss.

But then the third round began, and Johnson stunned Van with a crisp punch followed by a huge uppercut that led to the knockdown. He pounded and got the knockout at the 0:20 mark of Round 3 to a stunning applause from the crowd (via X):

After the fight, an ecstatic Johnson, who has now won three straight fights after losing three prior, said he’s on the way up in the 125-pound rankings.

“I got this fight 11 days ago,” Johnson said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “… UFC, let me get a ranking, baby.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 59 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 59.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.