Miles Johns and Felipe Lima at UFC Tampa ceremonial weigh-in at Amalie Arena, December 13, 2024 Credit: Jay Anderson/Cageside Press
Myles Johns faced Felipe Lima in a featherweight bout at UFC Tampa Fight Night on Saturday at Amalie Arena.
Johns entered the bout with a 3-0 record (including a no-contest), while “Jungle Boy” Lima was coming off a win over Muhammad Naimov in his previous promotional debut. Lima was aiming to extend its 13-game winning streak with a victory in this matchup.
In the first round, Johns appeared very aggressive, charging forward against Lima. Johns was stung by the punch, and the Kansas native momentarily fell to the ground. After regaining their composure, both fighters collided heads, resulting in Johns tripping. Lima landed a few damaging leg kicks that cost him points. Johns was pumping up his shots, trying to knock Lima out in one shot. Johns waved Lima forward at the end of the round, encouraging him to trade in the pocket.
Lima showed exceptional athleticism in the first round, being a much faster fighter than he was, bouncing in and out of range and stinging Johns with big shots. The second round began with Lima putting pressure on Johns while landing a spinning backfist. Lima’s volume appeared to be giving him the lead in the fight. Lima went for a takedown and was able to drive the former college wrestler to the ground. Johns quickly got up and made a plan. Lima landed a flash uppercut that temporarily forced Johns back. Johns threw hard against the cage and connected with a right hand that dropped Lima.
A big turn around just before the end of the round. Lima recovered and landed a jab on Johns. Lima was leading the round until he hit the canvas at the very end, making for an interesting match heading into the third round.
Johns chased Lima and threw a hook that missed. Lima ducked Johns’ punches and took the back midway through the round. Lima forced the fight with back control, putting Johns in a tight spot. Lima goes for a rear naked choke to end the match. Johns escaped and scored a takedown of his own before Lima could get back up. As the final horn sounded, Johns punched the fence.
Looking at the judges’ scorecards, it looked like Brazil’s rising star Felipe Lima had won. All three judges scored the match 30-27 in favor of Lima. The 26-year-old paid tribute to his opponent after the win, calling Johns “a really tough guy.” With this win, Lima moved into promotion with a record of 2 wins and 0 losses.
Official result: Felipe Lima def. Miles Johns unanimous decision (30-27×3)
