UFC 178 may be missing a Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier grudge match, but it still has Demetrious Johnson.
As the promotion’s most active champion, one who is on his way to literally cleaning out the flyweight division, Mighty Mouse has done enough over the past few years to punch his ticket to join the pound-for-pound best in the world.
From knockout artists to power wrestlers, grappling specialists to well-rounded speedsters, the 28-year-old has seemingly made quick work out of the best 125-pound threats around.
But as Johnson remains dominant, continues perennial perfection and begins to defend his title against lesser unknown divisional sharks, his chances of being upset grow exponentially.
We’ve seen it happen to Anderson Silva and Renan Barao. Nobody is safe.
So next on deck is veteran striker Chris Cariaso, who will enter his showdown with the champ this Saturday riding a three-fight win streak.
Nobody is giving Kamikaze a chance to capture UFC gold, but these are the type of unforgiving odds that ultimately produce memorable performances.
Here are keys to victory for both flyweights this weekend as the divisional belt will be at stake for the sixth time.
Keys to victory for Cariaso:
Remain unpredictable
Cariaso is a really good striker.
With a background in Muay Thai and a boxing pedigree above the divisional mean, he’s able to find angles and opportunities on his feet that other flyweights can not.
But he’s not going to be faster than Johnson.
Johnson is hands down the quickest and smoothest fighter to ever grace the Octagon, so the odds of Cariaso outpointing him strictly on footwork and hand speed are slim to none.
That said, Cariaso can close the gap in the striking department should he find his range early and remain unpredictable.
Johnson is a fighter that only gets better and more confident as a fight goes on, so the faster Cariaso can mix it up and force the champ to defend on all levels, the better chances he has of scoring some points and stealing momentum.
Preserve his gas tank
While Johnson has finished fights of late, he typically looks to chip away at an opponent and take his time to create his masterpiece.
That could bode well for a guy like Cariaso who also hasn’t done very well in the past when it comes to putting his competitor away, doing so just five times in 22 professional bouts.
Needless to say, the 33-year-old’s best shot at winning the belt is to catch Johnson off guard and put him away.
But that’s way easier said than done, so Cariaso will have to hang his hat on retaining energy, replenishing his gas tank and planning for 25 minutes of hard-fought action.
Keys to victory for Johnson:
Don’t be afraid to wrestle
Despite his divisional ranking (No. 8), Cariaso is a very dangerous opponent for Johnson.
With solid power in his hands, great kickboxing and formidable footwork, Kamikaze can certainly give the champ problems come Fight Night.
Now while Johnson has shown time and time again the diligence and perfected precision to pick opponents apart on the feet, he can’t be afraid to wrestle with Cariaso.
Cariaso‘s takedown defense is questionable at best and that’s coming off fights against guys like Danny Martinez and Jussier Formiga.
Johnson is leaps and bounds better in the wrestling department and as one of the best pure athletes the sport has to offer, he has to be ready to shake things up, score some points and drag Cariaso to the canvas.
Stay on the outside
Really the only way Cariaso is going to win this fight is if Johnson gets reckless, fights outside of his game plan and exchanges in close quarters.
With the quickest feet and hands in the business, it’s important that the flyweight king stays along the outside, picks his opportunities, avoids any unnecessary quarrels with Cariaso and makes him earn his respect.
However, Johnson must not be tentative to strike first and deliver damage. He simply needs to find a good balance between the two.
If he can do that and stay loose, he should be able to retain the belt.
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