Gaethje stops Johnson in second round of spectacular UFC debut

Justin Gaethje, left, waits for Michael Johnson to get on his feet in a UFC lightweight mixed martial arts bout in Las Vegas Friday. Gaethje won the bout. (AP)

LAS VEGAS: Justin Gaethje finished battering Michael Johnson and ran off to climb the cage in celebration of his debut UFC victory. He briefly stood atop the fence, but slipped, hitting his head while falling six feet back to the canvas.
He fell again on his second attempt, but Gaethje found his balance on his third try. He returned to earth with a joyous, graceful backflip.
“I’m not a quitter. I proved it,” the lightweight said with a grin. “Hey, it was really slippery up there. I was tired. But I can nail (the backflip) 10 out of 10 times once I get up there and plant my feet. I only (do it) when I get a sweet knockout, and that was sweet.”
Gaethje has spent years working to reach the biggest stage in mixed martial arts (MMA). When the former college wrestler finally hit the big-time Friday night, he showed why he could be the UFC’s next big thing.
Gaethje (18-0) stopped Johnson in the second round of a savage fight that encapsulated his entire style. From the opening minute to the final flurry, he lived up to his reputation as a fighter with punishing skills, athletic brilliance and a reckless disregard for his own safety.
“I’ve got the biggest heart, and I’m the most violent guy in the division,” Gaethje said. “I’ll prove it time and time again. I’ll take the most boring fighter and have Fight of the Year. That’s what I do. I’m an entertainer.”
The UFC agrees. Its chief Dana White awarded Gaethje two bonuses totaling $100,000 after the bout.
Gaethje got wobbled and hurt by Johnson during a frenetic first round and again in the second, but the UFC newcomer took control of the fight after staggering Johnson midway through the round with a knee to the body. Gaethje finished the veteran Johnson (18-12) with primal punches and knees that elicited gasps from the T-Mobile Arena crowd.
Next up for Gaethje might be lightweight powerhouses Tony Ferguson or Khabib Nurmagomedov, although Gaethje does not have their pedigree just yet. It might even be lightweight champion Conor McGregor, who took time out during his training for Floyd Mayweather to catch Gaethje’s performance.
Earlier, welterweight Jesse Taylor stopped Dhiego Lima with a second-round choke to win the finale of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the UFC’s long-running reality competition show.
In the culmination of a remarkable redemption story, the 34-year-old Taylor earned a spot back in the UFC nine years after he was dropped from the promotion. With his victory, Taylor earned $290,000.