John Dodson took a unanimous decision against a game Zach Makovsky in the featured preliminary bout at UFC 187.
Makovsky forced Dodson to be a defensive fighter. Makovsky’s tight defense, wrestling and left hand created a lot of issues for Dodson. He was not able to be the dynamic, fast-paced fighter he typically is. And it may have made him a better fighter for it.
The 15-minute flyweight tilt gave good insight into both competitors, and this is what we learned.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Nothing.
It was an OK fight. It was technical and tactical, but it didn’t offer anything exciting.
The flyweight fight underwhelmed and will be forgotten. That is unfortunate.
What We Learned About Zach Makovsky
Makovsky answered the question whether he can compete against the elite. He definitely can.
A lot of times wrestlers can break into the top 10, but they fail to show their ability to compete against the top five. Nik Lentz comes to mind. Makovsky proved he is able to contend against the top of this division. That is not to say he doesn’t have work to do.
Makovsky needs to show more offense. His left hand was on point in this fight, but a bit more offensive activity will go a long way.
What’s We Learned About John Dodson
We learned he is fine, which was a big question entering this fight. He was away from the cage a long time recovering from injury, but he looked solid at UFC 187.
It wasn’t a spectacular performance, but Dodson had a lot of cage rust to work out. It was also not a stylistic matchup that leads to an exciting, fast-paced fight. Makovsky forced Dodson to fight a more tactical fight.
The best news is that we learned Dodson returned at 100 percent. That is great for the fans, the UFC, the flyweight division and, most importantly, Dodson.
What’s Next for Makovsky
Makovsky will need to regroup, but as a top-15 fighter, he likely won’t fight an unranked opponent in this thin division. No. 12-ranked Dustin Ortiz slots in just fine.
Ortiz vs. Makovsky would make for a wonderful preliminary contest on a future Fight Night card. It will be exciting and move the winner up the ladder for another top-10 fight.
What’s Next for Dodson
Demetrious Johnson. Period.
Dodson is the No. 1-ranked fighter in the division. He’s charismatic, flashy, technically sound, has knockout power and, most importantly, gave Johnson his toughest fight in the flyweight division.
Dodson nearly finished Johnson, but the champion recovered and took over the fight. It was a big learning experience for Dodson. That only makes a rematch more exciting. He is the lone man in the division who can give Johnson a run for his money.
That fight will be electric.
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