American lightweight Michael Johnson made his UFC opponent face-plant the canvas with a devastating KO

• Michael Johnson finished Alan Patrick with a highlight-reel knockout Saturday at the UFC Apex.
• The result brought an end to a four-fight skid as Johnson won his first bout since 2018.

LAS VEGAS — American lightweight Michael Johnson made his UFC opponent face-plant the canvas with a devastating second-round knockout win Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas.

Johnson gave Patrick a taste of his superior power early in the first round when he dazed him with crisp, accurate, stinging boxing.

Though he was dazed himself with return fire later in the round, he showed variety with his strike output by landing a spinning backfist amongst more traditional shots.

In the second, both fighters slugged away. Johnson hit Patrick with counter shots, inside leg kicks, and eye-catching punch flurries.

A four-punch combo, a left hook, and then two afters when Patrick looked beaten and defenseless sealed the result.

Watch the knockout win right here:

Victory advanced Johnson's pro MMA record to 20 wins (nine knockouts, two submissions, and nine decisions) against 17 losses.

Notably, it bucked a four-fight losing run as the win over Patrick was his first since a 2018 decision against Artem Lobov at a UFC Fight Night event in Canada.

"The journey was rough, rough and tough," Johnson said, referencing his losing run in a post-fight statement to the UFC commentator and former champion Michael Bisping.

"I was in a dark place and a dark hole. I saw some light and I got out of that dark hole."

Earlier on the card, surging American MMA fighter Andre Petroski sent Nick Maximov to sleep with a nasty chokehold after just 76 seconds.

Viviane Araujo romped to a bruising UFC win after a first-round kick that could have taken her head off.

The Brazilian fighter's win was overshadowed, though, when her opponent Andrea Lee's cornerman Tony Kelley could be heard saying: "That's what they're going to do, they're dirty fucking Brazilians.

"They're going to fucking cheat like that," Kelley added.

The comments were heard during the live ESPN+ broadcast.

Prominent light heavyweights Jan Blachowicz and Aleksandar Rakic competed in the main event.