Controversial decisions are nothing new in UFC, but luckily there are times when such decisions can be rectified. That will be the case on Friday as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall will face off in a flyweight bout after the pair battled to a draw just three months ago.
Johnson was initially declared the winner by decision, but it was later determined that there had been an error in the scoring calculations, so the fight was ruled a split draw. Johnson and McCall will look to settle their feud decisively on Friday as they will headline the third UFC on FX event.
Here is everything you need to know about Johnson vs. McCall, including when and where to watch it along with all of the undercard fights as well.
Where: BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla.
When: Friday, June 8 at 9 p.m. ET
Watch: FX (starting at 9 p.m. ET) and FUEL TV (prelims start at 6 p.m. ET)
Betting Line (via Bovada): Johnson (-155) and McCall (+125)
Undercard
Bernardo Magalhaes vs. Henry Martinez
Tim Means vs. Justin Salas
Caio Magalhaes vs. Buddy Roberts
Seth Baczynski vs. Lance Benoist
Mike Pierce vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha
Leonard Garcia vs. Matt Grice
Sean Pierson vs. Jake Hecht
Josh Neer vs. Mike Pyle
Jared Papazian vs. Dustin Pague
Erick Silva vs. Charlie Brenneman
Eddie Wineland vs. Scott Jorgensen
Keys to Johnson Win
When Johnson and McCall met for the first time, there was no question that it was a closely-contested bout. After the botched scorecards were squared away, two judges had scored it a draw with the other giving it to Johnson. Perhaps Johnson was slightly better than McCall, but it truly was too close to determine a winner. With that said, Johnson shouldn’t deviate much from his game plan following the first fight.
Johnson has an advantage over McCall in terms of his ability on the mat, and that is something that Johnson must utilize on Friday. If he can hold McCall at bay by locking him up in submission maneuvers, it may not make for the most exciting fight, but it will bode well for Johnson. McCall is very versatile and dangerous, so the more Johnson can keep him down, the better.
Keys to McCall Win
McCall is such a good fighter, because he is capable of winning a bout in a number of different ways. But against Johnson, he may want to focus on standing toe to toe and trading blows. It’s impossible to impress the judges if you are immobilized, and that is something that Johnson is so good at doing. In order to ensure that he doesn’t get caught in any sticky situations, McCall should try to turn it into a slug fest.
His first fight with Johnson was a bit too close for comfort, and he was very lucky to escape with a draw rather than a loss. This match has very high stakes riding on it, as the winner will get to fight for the UFC Flyweight Championship down the line. One false move on the canvas could spell doom for McCall, and that means he should lessen risk as much as possible.
Predictions
This fight could literally go either way, but my money is on Johnson to prevail by majority decision. Johnson has to be the hungrier and angrier fighter, since he probably feels like the first bout was stolen from him. That should ensure that he is extra motivated for the tilt, and it will result in a much more convincing outing.
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