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Many top Mixed Martial Artists have spent time in the military. For example, Bellator Heavyweight fighter Tim Johnson is currently a Soldier in the Minnesota National Guard. However, that is only the first in a long list of his accomplishments. He is a Veteran of the Iraq conflict, an All-American wrestler, and a training partner of UFC Heavyweight Champ, Francis Ngannou. Adding to this, Johnson is scheduled to compete for the Bellator Interim Heavyweight Championship against Valentin Moldavsky.[caption id="attachment_23459" align="alignnone" width="1024"]
@tbeartim[/caption]Johnson has a record of 15 victories, and 6 defeats. Currently, he is riding a hard earned 3 win streak. Two of those ended with 1st round knockouts. The Minnesotan's most recent victory came in the form of avenging a loss against long time contender, Cheick Kongo. In 2010, Johnson's first professional fight took place in Fargo, North Dakota. His next 8 fights would also take place in North Dakota. Johnson's following 7 fights all took place in the UFC. In 2018, Johnson competed in his first Bellator match, and has a total of 5 fights with the promotion.His opponent, Valentin Moldavsky currently has a record of 10 wins, and 1 loss. The heavyweight bruiser has defeated his last 5 opponents in a row. The bout will headline Bellator 261 and will take place on June 25th, 2021.We wish Tim good luck as he continues to inspire us both as a Soldier, and a Mixed Martial Artist. Stay tuned to American Grit for more stories that matter.
