Lavar Johnson pummels Pat Berry and collects impressive knockout win in 1st round – UFC News
Lavar Johnson, the former Strikeforce heavyweight proud, grabbed an impressive first-round technical knockout win in his second UFC bout over Pat Berry, the former USA Heavyweight champion, in a three-round engagement held on May 5, 2012.
The heavyweight bout was on the main card of UFC on Fox3: Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller pay-per-view which was televised live from IZOD Center situated in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.
The night was headlined by the non-title lightweight bout between Nate Diaz and Jim Miller whereas the welterweight bout between Josh Koscheck and Johny Hendricks co-headlined the Fox channel’s epic third episode of Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Lavar, 34, was entering in his second UFC bout and was coming from a knockout win over Joey Beltran in UFC on Fox 2: Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis pay-per-view. The Californian heavyweight brawler boasted 16 wins in his total 21 bouts and is widely known as
a knockout specialist.
Johnson has brutally nailed 14 of his opponents by knockout and is notorious for his sharp jabs that can even break the hardest bones. He has collected just two of his wins by submission and was determined to skim off the effect of two consecutive losses
in his former Strikeforce mixed martial art organisation.
His opponent, Pat Berry, was entering in his 12th career bout and was seriously overshadowed by Lavar’s experience. In addition, he was coming from a knockout win over Christian Morecraft by grabbing which he was able to break the two-bout lose streak.
With three losses and two wins in his last five bouts, ‘HD’, Berry was nowhere to be found in front of Lavar. But these aspects did not intimidate the New Orleans proud since at one moment during the bout he grabbed Lavar in his submission manoeuvre.
During the first round, after initial exchange of fists, Pat moved forward and grabbed Lavar eventually taking him down on the octagon floor. Berry applied the armbar submission and was about to break Lavar’s arm when the latter broke former’s move and again
stood on his feet.
Johnson immediately moved in and started pounding Pat viciously so much so that after the passage of four minutes and 38 seconds the referee intervened and halted the clash. After the bout Lavar commented, “I knew Pat has been training a lot on the ground.
As soon as I hit him, and I hit him with a few hard shots, then I knew that was going to happen. I was just surprised he got me down so easy. Eventually I got up.”
With this win, Lavar has collected his 17th win and 15th by knockout whereas Berry has grabbed his fifth career loss.
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