Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson entered his UFC 178 bout with Chris Cariaso as a massive favorite, and Mighty Mouse didn’t disappoint as he successfully defended his title via second-round submission.
UFC on Fox tweeted the result:
The reigning champion took control of the fight from the outset. His ability to dictate the fight whether standing, in the clinch or on the mat showed he was the better fighter from the start. The flurry that rocked Cariaso at the end of the first round showed Mighty Mouse could finish it.
The second round was all about domination in the grappling department for Johnson. From the outset he was able to take the challenger to the ground and do what he wanted. After landing some ground-and-pound from the crucifix, the champion added the submission victory to his record via kimura.
The 28-year-old Johnson improved his career record to 21-2-1 and hasn’t lost since falling to Dominick Cruz nearly three years ago. Cariaso, on the other hand, is now 17-6 and unlikely to receive another title shot in the immediate future.
This win also marks Johnson’s fifth successful title defense since becoming the inaugural UFC flyweight champion. He is quickly becoming one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
There wasn’t much belief among MMA pundits that Cariaso had a legitimate shot to win on Saturday. He was on a bit of a roll with three straight wins entering the fight, but Greg Savage of Sherdog.com didn’t view him as a true threat:
That feeling was ultimately confirmed, but Johnson made it clear prior to the fight that he didn’t intend to take the underdog lightly. According to Bleacher Report’s Duane Finley, Johnson was extremely complimentary of his opponent before their encounter.
He is a good matchup, and Chris (Cariaso) is a tough guy. He always comes to fight and is a very durable guy. He’s able to take a lot of punishment and is always game. He’s always up to fight, and I think it is going to be a good one. My camp and I are prepared, and we are ready to go out there and fight.
Cariaso didn’t exactly offer up the same level of respect. In fact, Kamikaze dismissed his underdog status and insisted that he would take it to the champion, per Marc Raimondi of FoxSports.com.
“He’s going to get dominated,” Cariaso said. “Everybody has always been beatable. Looking at Mighty Mouse, yeah he’s been dominant in his last couple of fights, but I definitely see holes in his game, and I definitely think he’s beatable.”
Perhaps Johnson is beatable, but Cariaso simply didn’t have the tools necessary to get the job done. This fight was his big break; however, he’ll have to make way for a new challenger the next time Johnson puts the title on the line.
Johnson has taken on and defeated all comers during his run as flyweight champ. According to UFC.com, John Dodson, Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall are the next three in line for a shot at the title, but Johnson has already defeated all of them.
He has also beaten No. 5 John Moraga, so it is possible that No. 4 Jussier Formiga could be an option. Cariaso has already lost to Formiga, so that bout would make sense to some degree.
Regardless of who Johnson faces next, it is safe to assume that he will be a significant favorite. Much like Jon Jones has dominated the UFC light heavyweight division, Johnson is starting to do the same in the flyweight ranks.
Even if nobody can pose a legitimate threat to Johnson’s crown, he has quickly developed into one of UFC’s top fighters due to his transcendent ability. Cariaso experienced it firsthand at UFC 178, and he will hardly be the last.
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