Former flyweight title challenger John “The Magician” Dodson has been relegated to the sidelines since his lopsided second-round TKO of John Moraga in June.
The 30-year-old re-aggravated a lingering knee issue during his bout with Moraga and underwent surgery a month later to repair his ACL and MCL. Dodson has compiled a 5-1 record in the UFC, including a first-round TKO over current 135-pound champion T.J. Dillashaw that won him The Ultimate Fighter in December 2011.
“I’m looking at six to eight months of me actually being out before I can start going back in the gym and going hard and stuff,” Dodson told Fox Sports in July.
By the looks of his Instagram account, he is on his way to a full recovery. Dodson, who fights out of Jackson’s MMA, remains the No. 2 flyweight behind champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. That doesn’t mean he’s set on a rematch.
“I’m trying to get whatever gold is available to get at that time,” Dodson told Bleacher Report’s Duane Finley in November. “I’ll take it from D.J. or T.J. It really doesn’t matter to me.
While we await his return at either 125 or 135 pounds—sometime later this year—let’s take a look at his most memorable wins in the UFC.
For the purpose of these rankings, difficulty of opponent and ease at which victory was achieved will be taken into account.