Charles Johnson is not the kind of fighter to be counted out so soon. That's the message that was delivered as he handed Lone'er Kavanagh the first loss of his professional MMA career during the UFC Shanghai prelims.
Kavanagh troubled Johnson early, landing a hook and a head kick in the opening couple of minutes that both did some notable damage. Kavanagh continued to push the pace, dominating early on and looking like he could finish Johnson at any point.
Kavanagh attempted a tight guillotine choke in the second round, but Johnson was able to escape. Kavanagh tried to stay with him, only for Johnson to land some hard elbows before landing a right hand that dropped Kavanagh out cold.
Charles Johnson Drops Lone'er Kavanagh Out Cold At UFC Shanghai
Johnson, who at one point lost three straight and looked like he could be cut at any point, has now won five of his last six fights.
Kavanagh had won his first two UFC bouts against Jose Ochoa and Felipe dos Santos after a first-round finish on Dana White's Contender Series last year.