HIGHLIGHTS
- A flyweight contender suffered a brutal first-round knockout on the UFC 324 prelims.
- The current 125-pound champion wasted no time trolling the defeated fighter on social media.
- The two have a violent history that makes the online exchange even more personal.
Charles Johnson had a rough Saturday night. The perennial flyweight contender took a tough KO loss during the UFC 324 prelims at the hands of Alex Perez.
To make matters worse, Perez missed weight by 2.5 pounds and current 125-pound champion, Joshua Van–whom Johnson defeated–took to social media to taunt the defeated veteran.
How Did Alex Perez KO Charles Johnson?
Johnson got knocked out, but more specifically, he got knocked out because he kept failing to get his right hand up while in range of Perez’s left.
The fight started with Perez chopping Johnson’s lead leg and feinting level changes, drawing Johnson into the pocket where Perez’s shorter, tighter shots landed first. Midway through the round, Perez timed Johnson stepping in and cracked him with a clean overhand right that sat him down.
Perez jumped on him with punches until the referee waved it off at 3:16 of Round 1.
What Did Joshua Van Say on X?
Talk about kicking a man while he’s down. After the stoppage, Van posted on X trolling Johnson.
In follow-up replies, he reminded fans that Johnson is “still the only one who slept me” but that he’s now champ and “it’s a different story if we ever run it back.” The theme across his X activity was trolling Johnson while big-upping Perez and himself.
What’s the History Between Joshua Van and Charles Johnson?
In July 2024, Johnson scored a KO win over Van.
At UFC Denver, Johnson became the first and only man to knock out Joshua Van, stopping him in the third round after a competitive fight where both men had big moments. Van rebounded with a win streak that culminated in him capturing the UFC flyweight title, while Johnson went 4-1 over his next five and repeatedly reminded people on X that he still sees “the same openings” in Van’s game.
That history is why Van’s post-UFC 324 trolling hits so hard. Johnson owns the head-to-head KO, but Perez just smoked Johnson, giving Van new ammo while setting up future storylines between all three.
What Are the Complete Results From UFC 324?
UFC 324 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Main Card (Still in Progress)
- Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett – UFC Interim Lightweight Championship
- Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong
- Derrick Lewis vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
- Natalia Silva vs. Rose Namajunas
- Arnold Allen vs. Jean Silva
Prelims
- Umar Nurmagomedov def. Deiveson Figueiredo – Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Ateba Gautier def. Andrey Pulyaev – Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Nikita Krylov def. Modestas Bukauskas – KO, Round 3, 4:57
- Alex Perez def. Charles Johnson – TKO (strikes), Round 1, 3:16
- Josh Hokit def. Denzel Freeman – TKO (strikes), Round 1, 4:59
- Ty Miller def. Adam Fugitt – TKO, Round 1, 4:59
After the fight was over, you could see how crushing the loss was to Johnson. At 35, it may be tough for him to bounce back. He’s still a quality fighter, but his faulty defense cost him on Saturday night.
