It’s very likely that UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson’s next opponent will be current bantamweight titleholder T.J. Dillashaw. The two have been bickering back-and-forth about a potential superfight and UFC seems more than happy to oblige.
But just because Dillashaw may get his hands on “Mighty Mouse” doesn’t mean he’ll have the skill to defeat him. After all, Johnson is the consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world today and a champion who just recorded his 11th consecutive title defense.
UFC bantamweight John Dodson, who lost twice to “Mighty Mouse” at 125 pounds and defeated Dillashaw via knockout to claim Ultimate Fighter honors back in 2011, believes that Dillashaw will be in over his head if he ever steps inside of the cage with Johnson.
“It’s funny that he wants to fight Demetrious Johnson because if I didn’t beat Demetrious Johnson and he couldn’t beat me, that means he can’t beat him,” Dodson said during a recent Facebook Fan Q & A. “That’s the way I look at that.”
That common opponent theory doesn’t necessarily work in every instance, but Dodson may have a point. He’s just as quick as Dillashaw, if not quicker, yet still had limited success throughout 10 rounds of action opposite “Mighty Mouse.” Johnson dominated the clinch, the majority of ground scrambles, and nearly every exchange on the feet.
Dodson, who has gone 2-2 since his return to bantamweight in 2016, would rather see Dillashaw stay put at 135 pounds so he can work his way back up for a rematch.
“I’m trying to work that way,” Dodson said of a potential clash with Dillashaw. “As soon as I get this win, I’m gonna try to work up that little ladder so I can knock [Dillashaw} down off that pedestal. Everyone’s on this ‘Killashaw’ pedestal and they think that he’s the greatest thing ever but they keep on forgetting this fist knocked him out and knocked him silly. He did the stanky leg, all wobbly. And he’s like, ‘That was luck!’ No, that wasn’t luck. That’s called skill. That’s what people do.”
As far as Johnson is concerned, Dodson wants no part of the P4P king for a third time unless “Mighty Mouse” was to leave his division behind and return to bantamweight.
“If he decides to move up to 135, that’s a possibility,” said Dodson. “I’m not trying to go back down to 125 [pounds] because my kidneys hurt a lot going down to that weight class. I had kidney failure two times and it doesn’t feel too good. It sucks.”