Denis Goltsov vs Timothy Johnson Prediction: the Ending Will be Harsh

The PFL 7: Season 2024 tournament will take place on the night of August 3rd in the United States. It will feature semifinal bouts in the heavyweight division, including a match between Russian Denis Goltsov and American Timothy Johnson.

Denis Goltsov is a top Russian heavyweight who has been making a name for himself in the PFL since 2019. Denis has always been one of the favorites but hasn't yet won the main prize. There were a few hurdles, like the pandemic, an injury, and a visa issue. He made it to the finals last year but unfortunately lost by knockout to Brazilian Renan Ferreira. In the past two years, Goltsov has only lost one fight and won seven. As a general rule, his opponents are always severe, and this season, he won both bouts—he knocked out both Linton Vassell and Thiago Santos. Technically, Denis is in great shape. He has no noticeable gaps in technique or physics, and if he's in good shape, he can beat anyone.

Timothy Johnson is a 39-year-old veteran well-known to Russian mixed martial arts fans. He's faced against Fedor Emelianenko, Valentin Moldavsky, Vitaly Minakov, and Alexander Volkov in the cage. Another thing is that Johnson hasn't passed any of these tests, but he's now experiencing his second youth. He's on a three-fight winning streak, with the last two victories by knockout. This season might be Tim's last chance to win something meaningful. He'll obviously be as ready as possible for the fight with Goltsov. He doesn't say he'll finish his opponent quickly, being honest in his assessment, but he still hints at some surprises.

Frankly, it's unclear what Johnson will win with - the guys he's beaten lately haven't been world-beaters. We also don't know how he'll make it through the first round. That'll depend on Goltsov's strategy. For example, he'll have to decide whether he wants to survive, take a breath, and train something. It'll be easy for the American if he doesn't want to. Denis can keep up the pressure on the slow opponent and knock him out. Or he can do the same thing and then put Johnson on the canvas. Either way, Timothy won't match the Russian fighter's strength and technique.