Demetrious Johnson dominated Chris Cariaso at UFC 178. It was what was expected, and that is exactly what happened.
Cariaso entered at the No. 8-ranked contender, but he has never shown the tools necessary to defeat Johnson inside the cage. It seemed like a matter of time before Johnson would get the finish. And that would come in the second round.
Johnson locked in a kimura in the second round to remain the champion of the 125-pound division.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Honestly, the fight was not that memorable aside from the finish. It is not that it was a bad fight or even boring, but it was Johnson doing whatever he wanted to do. It wasn’t compelling.
The finish is the only thing we will remember about the one-sided affair.
What We Learned About Chris Cariaso
I wouldn’t say we learned this but rather it was confirmed that Cariaso is not an elite fighter.
Cariaso has a lot of value to the UFC. He is often exciting, and he is a solid fighter in a thin division. He will help fill out cards, test potential contenders and continue to grow and develop into a better fighter.
The fight with Johnson will pay dividends, but don’t expect Cariaso to ever challenge for gold again.
What We Learned About Demetrious Johnson
We learned that he is a champion that looks to finish. This was a criticism of Johnson until recent finishes of John Moraga and Joseph Benadivdez shifted the perception.
Often we have seen fighters take on lower-level talent and decide to coast. To play it safe and don’t do anything risky. Johnson didn’t do that. “Mighty Mouse” was looking for the finish. He wanted to put on a show for the crowd and establish dominance.
That is a sign of a true champion, and one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the sport today.
What’s Next for Chris Cariaso
Cariaso stepped into the void left by John Dodson, and for that the UFC will reward him with another key fight in the division.
Kyoji Horiguchi slides into that slot nicely.
He is currently the No. 13-ranked fighter in the division, on an eight-fight win streak and matches up well against Cariaso. It is a good rebound fight for Cariaso that still has some meaning in the division.
What’s Next for Demetrious Johnson
We would all love for it to be Dodson, but the knee injury will keep him sidelined until midway through 2015.
There is no interest, yet, in a third fight with Benavidez, and little interest in another fight against McCall. John Lineker has only won one fight and likely needs one more to be a legitimate contender. Who does that leave?
Jussier Formiga.
He has won back-to-back fights and is ranked in the top five. He is the only fighter who makes complete sense right now. If the UFC waits for Lineker to get another win then he would be the more enticing option, or they can thrust McCall into the fight with minimal interest from the fans.
Formiga isn’t going to move the needle, and Johnson hasn’t shown that ability yet, either. This sets up as a Fox main event for early 2015, or a co-main event spot to a larger title fight.
Flyweight doesn’t have many good options for Johnson. Formiga is the best bet as right now.
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