In UFC 187‘s third flyweight fight of the night, Joseph Benavidez took on John Moraga in a fun, back-and-forth brawl.
The expectation with Benavidez at this point is merciless dominance, and rightly so. The two-time contender has effortlessly dispatched almost all comers, and his amazing finishing power both standing and on the ground made it seem as though Moraga would be easy pickings for the WEC vet.
While he didn’t quite dominate Moraga, it was yet another strong performance by the Joe-Jitsu practitioner.
Moraga forced Benavidez into a striking-filled affair, which is something we have not seen out of him in a long while. While Moraga was most certainly game, Benavidez still managed to keep him largely contained. That translated into a unanimous 30-27 decision victory.
So what did we learn here?
The Stars Have Aligned Perfectly for a Benavidez Threematch with DJ
Entering UFC 187, it felt as though Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson 2 was inevitable. Dodson seemed to have a sure win on his plate in his match with Zach Makovsky, and with the razor-thin nature of his first fight with Johnson, it seemed like Benavidez would be left on the outside looking in when it came to the flyweight title picture.
Then, Dodson threw Benavidez a bone. While he still beat Makovsky, the win was far less impressive than what fans are used to from The Magician and spawned questions regarding how much of a toll his 2014 knee injury took on his body.
Benavidez, while he didn’t plaster Moraga the way he did Jussier da Silva or Tim Elliott, came out on top of a hearty scrap with a game Moraga. Not all wins are created equal, and Benavidez’s inspired more confidence in his chances against the dominant Johnson than Dodson’s did. We could easily see Benavidez leapfrog Dodson for a shot at gold.
Moraga Is Good…but We Don’t Know How Good Yet
Moraga was Johnson’s second title defense. That simple fact had many buy into him as a top-level flyweight from the very beginning, and he has done just well enough in the cage to keep fans and pundits from seriously questioning his top-tier status.
As time went on, though, the flyweight division grew in size and skills. Ian McCall showed he wasn’t just a brawler but a solid, technical, Gray Maynard-like grinder. John Lineker showed that he is one of the top pound-for-pound power-punchers in the sport today. Ali Bagautinov proved himself to be one of the best sambo converts since Fedor Emelianenko.
Moraga has long been held among the top of the pack, and we don’t know yet if that’s right. While the MMA Lab is clearly a top-10 talent, he has come up well short of victory against the top dogs of the flyweight division. It is becoming harder and harder to peg where he stacks up in the relatively deep pool of 125-pound talent.
Benavidez Needs Duane “Bang” Ludwig
Duane “Bang” Ludwig’s stint with Team Alpha Male was a major story in 2013. The former UFC welterweight helped transform a group of wrestlers into some of the greatest power-punchers under 155 pounds, and with the exception of Urijah Faber, everyone sang his praises.
Well, since Ludwig’s departure from Team Alpha Male, Benavidez has notched exactly zero knockouts, and his striking just has not looked as sharp as it once did. He is still winning, of course, but the pop and accuracy just seem gone.
Moraga, who isn’t an immaculate striker, was able to tag him a few times, and that doesn’t bode well for Benavidez when it comes to the current crop of flyweight up-and-comers. Given his recent departure from MMA Inc., it’s possible we’ll see Benavidez reunite with his former coach.
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