MANILA, Philippines – Heavyweight Troy “The Hulk†Johnson opened up the One Fighting Championship: Rise to Power event with a surprise third-round technical knockout victory over Tim “The Maniac†Sylvia at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City Friday night.
Johnson managed to inflict a nasty cut to the right eye of Sylvia with a menacing elbow, prompting a referee stoppage.
“The Hulk†got the victory despite his long inactivity at the octagon.
“I was a little rusty tonight after not fighting in the last 18 months. But the next time I will be a better fighter,†said Johnson.
“Tim is a hell of a fighter and we respect him a lot. I trained hard in our training camp for this fight,†he added.
Sylvia was gaining the upper hand when Johnson pulled off a surprise takedown, leading to the technical knockout in the final round.