Miles Johns Scores Thunderous TKO at UFC Vegas 120

Miles Johns (16-5, 1 NC MMA, 7-5, 1 NC UFC) entered Saturday night's UFC Vegas 120 at the newly-renovated Meta Apex looking to do what he hadn't done in nearly 26 months' time: Win a fight in the fabled Octagon. To find the last time he had gotten his hand raised in victory, you'd need to travel back in time to June 15, 2024.

That late spring Saturday evening, Johns scored a unanimous decision victory over Douglas Silva de Andrade in a UFC Fight Night from the selfsame Apex facility in Enterprise, NV. He entered training camp for Saturday night's bout preparing for Jessie Rosas in what was to have been the latter's UFC debut.

The UFC medical team would not clear Rosas to compete on the card, leading to Gianni Vasquez (14-6-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC) receiving the short-notice call for his sophomore appearance in the promotion. Vasquez made his UFC debut on Feb. 7, but he wound up being released by the company after missing weight by 5 lbs the day before the fight against Javid Basharat, a fight he lost.

Miles Johns Makes Quick Work of Gianni Vasquez During UFC Vegas 120 Prelims

Although this bantamweight bout was slated for an advertised three rounds at five minutes per round, Johns only needed a little more than half of a round to complete his assignment inside Meta Apex. During the opening round of the contest, Miles Johns landed a jab before scoring with a few calf kicks. 

Miles Johns continued to apply the pressure as the round progressed, connecting on a right-handed punch, following it up with another right hand. Johns hunted down Vasquez relentlessly during the round, with Vasquez landing a right of his own to momentarily wobble his opponent.

Upon recovering, Miles Johns returned fire, uncorking a left hook to drop Vasquez, peppering him with ground and pound strikes. Referee Herb Dean put a stop to the bout at three minutes and nine seconds into the opening period.

"Johns went from hurt to knocking out Vasquez in 30 seconds!", remarked Daniel Cormier, who was working as analyst for UFC Vegas 120. "That's crazy!"

Miles Johns Thrilled to be Back in Win Column

With the victory, Miles Johns snapped a four-fight losing streak dating back to December of 2024 against Felipe Lima at UFC Tampa. After his win, Johns talked to Daniel Cormier about ending the skid.

"Man, it feels so good," Miles Johns began. "My last couple of years in the UFC, I don't really know if people understand how much I've been through with that, from opponent switches to this and that, every time Sean Shelby sends me a name, my answer is 'Yes. Yes, sir, yes, sir.' I'm just so grateful for the opportunity to be here. It's crazy. I can't believe it."

During the post-fight interview, Daniel Cormier informed Miles Johns that he became the first fighter to record a knockout against Gianni Vasquez. He summed it up thusly:

"I know I have the power. Sometimes I just get a little wild because I'm trying to take people's heads off. When I clean it up and I stay tight, I know that these finishes are there."