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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson and Ken Hathaway

Ramazonbek Temirov calls out Kai Kara-France, Brandon Moreno and more after UFC Fight Night 253

LAS VEGAS – Ramazan Temirov beat Charles Johnson with a unanimous decision Saturday to open the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 253 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Temirov, who held off a third-round Johnson rally to pick up his 11th straight win.

Ramazan Temirov def. Charles Johnson

Result: Ramazan Temirov def. Charles Johnson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Temirov (19-2-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Johnson (17-7 MMA, 6-5 UFC)
Key stats: Johnson won the overall striking battle 87-59.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 01: (R-L) Ramazan Temirov of Uzbekistan punches Charles Johnson in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on March 01, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Temirov on the fight’s key moment

“I couldn’t show the best performance of my career, but I was prepared for three rounds. I’m always prepared for all of my fights. This opponent was a little uncomfortable for me, and I was missing with some of my punches. I could drop him down, but I couldn’t knock him out. His style was a little uncomfortable for me. He was doing a good job slipping away from my punches.”

Temirov on a goal to get to the top 15

“I’m happy about my performance. He was a tough fighter, and I hope I’m in the top 15 now (after the win). I felt that every time when I was punching him, I was winning all the rounds.”

Temirov on what he wants next

“I’m going to be ready for the next one around summertime. I don’t care who’s going to be in front of me, it can be top five, top 10 , but I wouldl love to fight against top guys because it’s going to make me become a champion as soon as possible. … I want to fight against top five guys like Kai Kara-France and Brandon Moreno because they fight standing. I’d love to fight standing – I enjoy it.”

To hear more from Temirov, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 253.

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