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#4 Timothy Johnson (12-5) vs. Vitaly Minakov (21-1) (Heavyweight)
Former Bellator Heavyweight Champion Vitaly Minkov's last fight ended up being his first professional MMA loss and he needed a big win to bounce back from that forgettable outing against Cheick Congo from February earlier this year. He emphatically did just that.
Round 1: Minakov went for the heavy shots from the get-go. He took big strides and wasted no time in going for the takedown.
Minakov slammed Johnson down with a german suplex which would have made Brock Lesnar proud. Johnson tried to break away but Minakov's grip and relentless pressure prevented him from doing so.
Johnson got some relief and both men moved around in the centre of the cage. Minakov fired a push kick to Johnson's gut and followed it up with a swift and well-placed straight right to Johnson's jaw. It was a weird right kick-right hand combination that surprisingly worked really well.
Johnson wobbled and took a few steps back on his heels. Minakov pressed forward and grazed the top of Johnson's head, who was dazed at this point. Minakov landed two brutal punches - a left and a right, as Johnson fell on his hindquarters up against the cage, and that was all she wrote.
Result: Vitaly Minakov def. Timothy Johnson via KO (1:45, Round 1)
Minakov notched up his 13th career knockout. The New Emporer seems to be back to his best as he looks to get back in contention to reclaim the Heavyweight Championship he once held.
