Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo will battle this Saturday (April 23, 2016) at UFC 197 inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a match up of all-time great and Olympic gold medalist, what adjustments must be made for either man to claim victory? Find out below!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight combatants Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo will collide this Saturday (April 23, 2016) at UFC 197 inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Each time Johnson has fought since winning the belt, it gets harder to see him lose. “Mighty Mouse” has defended the belt an astonishing number of times and still seems to grow between fights, making him a nightmare match up for most any Flyweight.
Looking to buck the trend is Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo. Cejudo hasn’t set the world on fire with any of his singular wins, but he’s a fantastic athlete who quickly rose through the ranks and could pose an interesting challenge to the champ.
Let’s take a look at the keys to victory for both men:
Demetrious Johnson
Record: 23-2-1
Key Wins: Joe Benavidez (UFC 152, UFC on Fox 9), John Dodson (UFC 191, UFC on Fox 6), Ian McCall (UFC on FX 3)
Key Losses: Dominick Cruz (UFC on Versus 6)
Keys to Victory: Johnson is perhaps the most technically sound fighter in the entire UFC. He’s a slick kickboxer, incredible wrestler, has an aggressive jiu-jitsu game, and Johnson transitions between all of those skills fluidly.
There’s a reason he’s been so tough to beat.
In this bout, Johnson is facing a bull and must once again play the matador. Cejudo is skilled with his offensive boxing and takedowns, but he generally pushes forward with one or the other, sometimes adding a takedown to the end of a combo.
Regardless of which he’s attempting, Johnson should have the footwork to dance circles around him. Cejudo’s set ups simply aren’t the complicated and he doesn’t possesses his opponent’s understanding of angles on the feet, so Johnson should be able to force him to swing and miss often.
Once that begins to happen, Cejudo will grow more desperate to land and his swings will get wider. That’s Johnson’s opportunity to counter punch or — more likely — duck under with a takedown and put the Olympian on his back.
VS.
Henry Cejudo
Record: 10-0
Key Wins: Jussier Formiga (UFC Fight Night 78), Chico Camus (UFC 185), Chris Cariaso (UFC 185)
Key Losses: None
Keys to Victory: As has been repeatedly mentioned in every interview and promo ever done by “The Messenger,” he scored a gold medal in the Olympics at the age of 21. Eight years later, Cejudo once again will look to shock the world.
In this bout, Cejudo needs to do his absolute best to cut off the cage. If he can trap Johnson along the fence, he can force his opponent into a straight boxing or wrestling exchange.
While he’s not guaranteed to win either of those exchanges, they represent his best opportunity to win.
On a related note, Cejudo needs to use kicks to trap Johnson in place. Regardless of whether they go to the body or legs, a kick forces a circling fighter — like Johnson, who will be moving quite a bit — to slow his feet down and defend.
Similarly, Cejudo needs to beat up his opponent’s body, as Johnson is a difficult man to hit cleanly. In addition to slowing Johnson down a bit, body shots will also help stop Johnson’s feet and leave him more vulnerable to the takedown.
Bottom Line: This is one of the few legitimate challengers that Johnson has not yet defeated.
In all honesty, there aren’t a ton of fights left for Johnson. Joseph Benavidez is coming up on earning a third title opportunity, and there’s still the potential of him facing the winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) if that’s still happening.
Beyond those two challengers, what else is there?
With a win, Johnson’s iron grip on the crown tightens even further. A loss, meanwhile, would be shocking and likely result in an immediate rematch with Cejudo. Safe to say, it would shake things up.
On the other hand, this is Cejudo’s opportunity to pull off the upset. His target has been aimed at “Mighty Mouse” since he first entered the UFC, and he’s done everything necessary to make this fight happen.
Now, he just needs to win.
With a win, Cejudo’s mission is accomplished. He’s defied the odds and added a massive accomplishment to his legend. However, he’ll likely have to do it once more to really end Johnson’s reign.
If Cejudo comes up short, it’s not clear where he’ll go from here. It’s pretty clear that Cejudo came into this sport with the immediate intention of becoming champion, and his focus has suffered in the past when he lacked a goal. If he cannot topple the king, Cejudo’s future in the division is less than certain.
At UFC 197, Demetrious Johnson puts his belt on the line opposite Henry Cejudo. Which man will leave with the strap?