LAS VEGAS – To paraphrase Dennis Green, Demetrious Johnson vs. Chris Cariaso was what we thought it was.
Few believed that the UFC’s dominant flyweight champion would be tested by Cariaso in the main event of UFC 178, and that’s exactly how it played out.
Johnson toyed with Cariaso for a round and a half before finishing Cariaso with a Kimura and retaining his title at 2:29 of the second round Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“It was a great fight, he’s a tough opponent,” said Johnson (21-2-1). “I stood my ground. If anything, I was too patient.
Johnson nearly finished the NorCal-based Cariaso with a late flurry in the closing seconds of the opening round, but Cariaso lasted until the horn. In the second, Johnson picked up the pace and got the job done with a tight Kimura.
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With the victory, Johnson, who has been UFC flyweight champion since Sept. 2012, improved to 6-0-1 as a flyweight and won his sixth straight fight. He’s 10-1-1 in his past 12, with the only loss coming to then-bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz at 135 pounds.