Donte Johnson claimed his place on the UFC roster on August 26 with a first-round stoppage win over Darion Abbey in the opening bout of the third week of action on Season 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series.
The bout was contested at heavyweight, as each of the Fon du Lac, Wisconsin native’s first three professional bouts were before he downshifted to the light heavyweight ranks. Despite giving up considerable size and weight — the five-foot-eight Johnson weighed in at 209 pounds, Abbey is six-foot-two and weighed in at 226.5 pounds —the undefeated 26-year-old quickly found his footing and blitzed his way to victory, flashing quick, powerful hands in putting his larger, more experienced foe out in a grand total of 64 seconds.