5. Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Johnson
Gaethje’s UFC debut against Michael Johnson in 2017 lasted a little under two rounds yet packed more thrills and spills into that 10-minute spell than the vast majority of five-round encounters. Credit goes to Johnson, who was willing to meet the all-action Gaethje halfway. That was perhaps encouraged by their first exchange where he knocked ‘The Highlight’ off-balance.
That would prove to be no fluke by the end of a ferocious first round full of back-and-forth punches, kicks, and knees. Johnson buckled Gaethje’s legs with a hard right hook to the jaw and unleashed a barrage of blows against the cage, with only the bell saving him. Gaethje would continue to take an inhuman amount of punishment in the second round but kept firing back and started to turn the tide, hurting Johnson with big uppercuts and then more punches. Elbows, a flying knee, and another big knee sealed the deal by dropping Johnson to the canvas for a TKO stoppage.
