Charles Johnson pulled off a huge comeback win earlier tonight (Sat., July 13, 2024) at UFC Denver live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, stopping red-hot prospect Joshua Van with a come-from-behind TKO in the third and final round.
Van was a sizeable favorite entering this “Prelims” headliner and for good reason. The talented flyweight had won his last eight (3-0 UFC) and projected to be able to strike his way past Johnson, who had accepted the fight on just 10 days notice.
The first two rounds were all Van. He was able to utilize his forward movement and pressure to keep Johnson on his heels and on the defense. Van’s shot selection and precision were really impressive to watch, especially when he unloaded to the body.
Johnson, who came into this fight with a 2-0 record in 2024, came out firing in the third round being down on the scorecards. Out of nowhere, “Inner G” landed a nice right hand and then followed up with a gnarly uppercut. Both shots connected flush and sent Van crashing to the canvas (his head badly bounced off it). Johnson landed a few follow-up shots before the referee stepped in for the stoppage.
Check out the comeback finish below:
CHARLES JOHNSON COMES BACK OUT OF NOWHERE AND KNOCKS OUT JOSH VAN #UFCDenver pic.twitter.com/wm41JfUCcE
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) July 14, 2024
HE FINISHED HIM EARLY @InnerGmma_UFC gets the third round KO to finish up our #UFCDenver prelims! pic.twitter.com/opvOu6Xott
— UFC (@ufc) July 14, 2024
For complete UFC Denver results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.