SAN JOSE, Calif. – Things weren’t going in the favor of Linton Vassell until they were.
After multiple near-stoppages by his opponent Tim Johnson (15-9 MMA, 3-5 BMMA), somehow, someway, Vassell (22-8 MMA, 11-5 BMMA) rallied to pull off a TKO stoppage due to ground-and-pound at 4:21 of Round 1.
Bellator 277 took place Friday at SAP Center, headlined by a featherweight title rematch between A.J. McKee and Patricio Freire.
Vassell was in trouble early, as Johnson rocked him badly enough the Brit felt the need to shoot for a takedown. Johnson stuffed Vassell into the canvas hard, as he swung around to land punches from the top. Vassell tried to escape and eventually rose to his feet, but his equilibrium did not.
As the two fighters moved up, Vassell toppled over again – still shook from Johnson’s punches. Johnson ran full speed and crashed his body into his downed opponent. More heavy ground-and-pound came. Referee Blake Grice kept a close eye on things, but elected to stay away.
Vassell grabbed hold of a leg and reversed Johnson. From there, he quickly moved into mount. Punch after punch, Vassell calmly landed. Johnson, bloodied, tried to escape – but couldn’t until the referee waved things off.
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— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) April 16, 2022
With the win, Vassell has won four fights in a row, possibly positioning himself for a title opportunity. Meanwhile, Johnson is now on a three-fight skid.
The up-to-the-minute Bellator 277 results include:
- Linton Vassell def. Tim Johnson via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:21
- Tyson Miller def. Khalan Gracie via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 5:00
- Tyrell Fortune def. Rakim Cleveland via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:38
- Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov def. Rafael Carvalho via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:04
- Bobby Seronio III def. Calob Ramirez via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 2:14
- Gaston Bolanos def. Daniel Carey via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:59
- Kyle Crutchmer def. Michael Lombardo via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Edwin De Los Santos def. Alberto Martinez Mendez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Rogelio Luna def. Socrates Hernandez via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:48
- Laird Anderson def. J.T. Donaldson via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:44
- Theo Haig def. Alan Benson via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:08
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