Tim Johnson Believes He Was Built For PFL, Loves Upsetting Bettors

Getting the call to enter the second round of the Professional Fighters League Regular Season on two weeks’ notice was not exactly ideal, but that’s just the way it goes for Tim Johnson. The former Bellator MMA heavyweight champ and Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran made his PFL debut with a short-notice call to take on Danilo Marques in one of the wildest one-round fights in 2024.

By rallying to knock out Marques in the same round after being on the wrong end of a low blow, Johnson not only won but also secured a playoff spot. He did not hesitate to accept the short notice booking and is quick to explain why he was able to capitalize on the chaos.

“Experience,” Johnson told Sherdog.com. “As much as I’ve fought, it’s nice being in really good shape and being able to go 15, 25 minutes but at the end of the day fighting, at this stage, is second nature. I’m not going to turn down an opportunity because I can’t go run a 5K.”

In the most viral moment of his career, Johnson was unaware of what had happened with Marques saying he was oblivious due to the groin shot he had just absorbed.

“I didn’t know I had knocked him down,” Johnson said. “I was oblivious. Absolutely zero clue that I made a connection. All I was thinking about was, ‘This hurts, let’s get it to stop hurting.’ That was the only thing running through my head.” Thanks to the first-round finish, Johnson secured enough points to make the playoffs despite having only one regular-season appearance. Perhaps not surprisingly, Johnson is a fan of PFL’s unique season format. The 39-year-old is reminded of old-school MMA, when tournaments were far more common.

“I think they should almost go back to how they first started out where you had to fight twice in one night. I think that’s awesome, that’s true tournament style. You have to be a little smart about it; that first fight you’d have to finish fast. I honestly think I’m made for that kind of tournament style.”

Heading into the playoffs, Johnson will take on top-seeded Denis Goltsov at PFL 7 on Friday in Nashville. Assessing the matchup, Johnson feels Goltsov is very good at many things, but no specific skill stands out.

“Denis, to me, is a B-plus, A-minus in every aspect of the fight game,” Johnson said. “He’s not overwhelmingly great, he’s not A-plus at one thing. He’s just really good at clinching, striking, kicks, grappling, there’s not one spot of his game where he’s got a weak spot, he’s great at all of them, that brings up a few problems on my end. He’s a great competitor, he’s a good person, I look forward to sharing the cage with him.”

Johnson will enter the cage as the betting underdog, something he claims to prefer, saying he does pay attention to the betting lines, but only because he enjoys ruining the night of those who bet against him.

“I’m probably going to be at minimum a 4-to-1 underdog, more likely 6-to-1, is how the bookies are going to label it, just because it is what it is, and I like that. No one is expecting me to win and [for] most of my career, that’s how a lot of my fights have been. I like being in that situation. I like making people mad because they bet against me.”

Being labeled as an underdog is one thing, but relishing that narrative is something that Johnson says fuels him in his fights.

“It adds motivation, it does. I actually hate seeing that I’m favorite, because it’s not my storyline. I like being a very unassuming individual that people don’t think much of. People probably don’t much bet much for me or against me because they don’t know what Tim Johnson is going to show up, which through my MMA career, that’s a fair assessment.”