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VANCOUVER – Tae Hyun Bang (17-8 MMA, 1-1 UFC) gave up height and reach against Kajan Johnson (19-11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), but his raw power and durability overcame his deficits.
Bang took Johnson’s best shots and retorted with heavy hands to earn a smashing finish in the third round.
The lightweight bout was part of today’s UFC 174 event at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. It aired on FX following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.
The official time of stoppage came at the 2:01 mark of the final frame, when Johnson fired off a high kick that Bang absorbed and countered with a right hand that knocked out his opponent.
It was the second punch from Bang, nicknamed “Supernatural,” with concussive results. A counter left hook put “The Ultimate Fighter: Nations” vet Johnson on the mat in the first and forced him to drive for a takedown.
Despite that jarring setback, Johnson found success with his long limbs later in the opening frame and hurt Bang with a leaping knee. But as the fight went on, and Bang took more of his best punches without flinching, he was forced to look for takedowns.
Even on the mat, Bang’s power was evident. When Johnson earned takedowns in the first and second round, he secured his opponent’s head and arm and flipped him over.
“My body felt very heavy and I didn’t give my best performance, but I’m still happy that I was able to walk away with the finish,” Bang said. “Next time, I’ll show the fans just how good I can be in that octagon.”
Bang earns his first UFC win following a decision loss to Mairbek Taisuov in his debut this past January at UFC Fight Night 34. Johnson, whose bid on “TUF: Nations” was ended by a jaw-breaking KO at the hands of winner Chad Laprise, sees his first professional octagon loss.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 174 results include:
Tae Hyun Bang def. Kajan Johnson via knockout (punch) – Round 3, 2:01
Michinori Tanaka def. Roland Delorme via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Jason Saggo def. Josh Shockley via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:57
For complete coverage of UFC 174, stay stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.
(John Morgan and Mike Bohn contributed to this report on-site in Vancouver.)
Filed under: News, UFC