The UFC 318 prelims were highlighted by a streak of mismatches, which saw the early portion of the card result in a series of finishes.<\/p>\n
Fans thought the crush-matches would continue into the main card, where -850 favorite Daniel Zellhuber opened the PPV against 39-year-old UFC veteran Michael Johnson.<\/p>\n
Shockingly, Johnson would score a knockdown on the route to a unanimous decision victory against the fighter thirteen years his junior.<\/p>\n
Unanimous Decision \u2705 #UFC318<\/a><\/p>\n Michael Johnson gets the win over Daniel Zellhuber! pic.twitter.com\/R7qwrEBQAo<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Johnson forfeited nearly every advantage, including height, reach, and weight. It was his experience that would come into play as he beat Zellhuber on the scorecards.<\/p>\n Responding to the loss on Instagram, Zellhuber apologized to his fans.<\/p>\n “The goal doesn’t change,” He wrote [h\/t Alex Behunin]. “The beginning of this story may not be the happiest, but I promise you that I will be the best in the world, because I know all the work I put in every day.<\/p>\n “I apologize to those who always support me; I will come back stronger and better. Thank you to those who stay with me, and also to those who get off the [ride] because they help me see who I need close by and who I don’t…”<\/p>\n Daniel Zellhuber’s reponse to his upset loss to Michael Johnson at UFC 318 pic.twitter.com\/ShKgQEHs5T<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Zellhuber faces the first losing streak in his career since suffering a split decision loss to Esteban Ribovics at UFC 306.<\/p>\n In typical Michael Johnson fashion, ‘The Menace’ hands a loss to an opponent nearly everybody thought he’d lose to. Johnson now has wins over Tony Ferguson, Dustin Poirier, and Edson Barboza. He’s also on his first three-fight winning streak since 2015.<\/p>\n Stick with MMAKnockout<\/a> for more FREE coverage of the UFC, MMA, Boxing. Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n