Brett Johns: Welshman Johns targets stoppage in PFL play-offs bid

Britain’s Brett Johns is targeting a stoppage win against American Tyler Diamond in his next Professional Fighters League (PFL) bout.

Johns accepts he needs such a triumph to boost his play-off hopes, but accepts it will be a tough task.

Johns, 32, was beaten by Timur Khizriev in his opening bout in April, and faces a mammoth task to make August’s play-offs.

The Swansea featherweight takes Diamond in the $1m dollar tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Friday, 28 June.

Diamond was drafted in to fight Johns following the withdrawal of Hungary’s Adam Borics.

Johns agrees he is likely to need force a stoppage to have any chance.

“I think it’s fair to say this next fight now we can’t just win,” said Johns.

“Winning with a [judges’] decision is not good enough.

“The example I try to give to people is Wales are in the group stages, they can’t just win, they’ve got to win by three goals basically and that’s the sort of position we’re in now.

“It’s a big ask, I’m fighting a tough competitor, but it’s mixed martial arts and anything can happen on the night.”

Fellow Briton Brendan Loughnane is one of two fighters with maximum points from his first bout in the competition.

The Manchester fighter earned six points with an 86-second first-round stoppage of Pedro Carvalho.