Charles Johnson and Jake Hadley, UFC St. Louis Credit: Youtube/UFC
‘Pride of St. Louis’ Charles Johnson was paired with England’s Jake Hadley in his second fight at UFC St. Louis, and fans told the Brit exactly how Johnson felt during his walkover.
Hometown hero “Inner G” Johnson defeated Azmat Maxam in a flyweight bout, a win that ended a three-fight losing streak for the 33-year-old Johnson. On the other hand, Hadley recently lost to Cody Darden, ending the young man’s winning streak at just two.
Cheers greeted Johnson as the match began, but it was Hadley who took the kick, leaving Johnson on his heels against the fence. Hadley started the combo and got it in the second minute, but one Johnson quickly got up and likely didn’t count. They then moved back to the center and traded out in the open, going back and forth with single strikes and short combos for the rest of the round.
Between rounds, Johnson’s corner told him, “Even though you’re not in America, you’re in the race,” telling him to do his job, win the round, and forget about the fact that he was competing domestically. urged. In the second start, there was more exchange between Johnson and Hadley. Hadley chose to clinch, but Johnson reversed and led to a break. Hadley sliced the body with kicks, and Johnson responded with a combo. Johnson momentarily caught the next kick, almost knocking Hadley’s leg out from under him.
The second one was certainly a more offensive-minded round for Johnson, with a lot of right hands landing. At the last moment, “Inner G” scored a knockdown, and Hadley was visibly shaken but survived.
Johnson was in a back-and-forth battle, but he gathered his spirits and headed to third base. Hadley appeared to have recovered from his second round scare. However, Johnson had the advantage quantitatively and the pace was fairly steady until he was accidentally poked in the eye with two minutes left and the action was briefly interrupted. The crowd did not like Johnson being cautioned, but the action resumed less than a minute later.
With a minute left, it still felt like a fight against anyone. Both men had several close encounters, but instead of smoking cigars, they ran away until the final buzzer sounded. “Next time I want numbers, I want rankings!” Johnson shouted after the game.
Official Results: Charles Johnson def. Jake Hadley by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
