Cesar Almeida wasn’t even supposed to be at UFC 334, but he’s leaving Madison Square Garden with an unforgettable highlight.
The former kickboxing champion scored an emotional victory over Donte Johnson (9-1) on Saturday, handing Johnson his first loss after a thrilling opening round of back-and-forth action. In the end, it was Almeida’s power that won out as he floored Johnson for a first-round knockout win.
Watch the powerful finish below.
Johnson was unafraid to stand toe-to-toe with Almeida and there were moments where “Lockjaw” looked like he would be the one to land a knockout blow. However, Almeida eventually found his range and dropped Johnson with a stiff right hand. Almeida followed with ground-and-pound, forcing Johnson to scramble to survive. Johnson made it back to his feet, but Almeida continued to land heavy right hands until Johnson was dropped a second time and saved by referee Kevin MacDonald.
The official time of the stoppage was 3:20 into Round 1.
Almeida joined Saturday’s lineup on short notice, replacing Baisangur Susurkaev with a little over six weeks to prepare. The bout was changed from a middleweight bout to a 190-pound catchweight bout.
With the win, Almeida (8-3) snapped a two-fight losing streak.
