In his first fight since August 2018, Brett Johns welcomed Contender Series graduate Tony Gravely to the UFC and secured his first win since December 2017.
The first round was all Johns as the Welshman swarmed Gravely with a relentless grappling attack and nearly locked in a submission as the round ended. Gravely found a rhythm in the second frame, though, connecting with some solid strikes before getting a pair of big takedowns. Johns showed some resistance, but it was fairly close as the fight moved into the final round. Gravely started quickly, securing another takedown, but “The Pikey” did well to reverse his fortunes and took Gravely’s back. He maintained great pressure and swarmed Gravely with strikes before sinking in a rear naked choke midway through the round.
The bout was one in which both athletes’ stock rose. For Johns, getting his first win in more than two years bodes well to regaining traction in the bantamweight division where his only two losses have come to Aljamain Sterling and Pedro Munhoz. Gravely, while unsuccessful, flashed great potential that makes him yet another strong addition to the shark tank that is the 135-pound ranks.
