UFC 178 may be missing a Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier grudge match, but it still has Demetrious Johnson. As the promotion’s most active champion, one who is on his way to literally cleaning out the flyweight division, Mighty Mouse has done enough over the past few years to punch his ticket to join the […]
UFC 178 may be missing a Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier grudge match, but it still has Demetrious Johnson. As the promotion’s most active champion, one who is on his way to literally cleaning out the flyweight division, Mighty Mouse has done enough over the past few years to punch his ticket to join the […]
At the UFC 181 press conference, Johny Hendricks, Robbie Lawler, Anthony Pettis, and Gilbert Melendez will discuss their upcoming fights on Dec. 6 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.The UFC 181 press conference is scheduled to begin at …
UFC 178 may be missing a Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier grudge match, but it still has Demetrious Johnson.
As the promotion’s most active champion, one who is on his way to literally cleaning out the flyweight division, Mighty Mouse has done enough over …
UFC 178 may be missing a Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier grudge match, but it still has Demetrious Johnson.
As the promotion’s most active champion, one who is on his way to literally cleaning out the flyweight division, Mighty Mouse has done enough over the past few years to punch his ticket to join the pound-for-pound best in the world.
From knockout artists to power wrestlers, grappling specialists to well-rounded speedsters, the 28-year-old has seemingly made quick work out of the best 125-pound threats around.
But as Johnson remains dominant, continues perennial perfection and begins to defend his title against lesser unknown divisional sharks, his chances of being upset grow exponentially.
We’ve seen it happen to Anderson Silva and RenanBarao. Nobody is safe.
So next on deck is veteran striker Chris Cariaso, who will enter his showdown with the champ this Saturday riding a three-fight win streak.
Nobody is giving Kamikaze a chance to capture UFC gold, but these are the type of unforgiving odds that ultimately produce memorable performances.
Here are keys to victory for both flyweights this weekend as the divisional belt will be at stake for the sixth time.
Keys to victory for Cariaso:
Remain unpredictable
Cariaso is a really good striker.
With a background in Muay Thai and a boxing pedigree above the divisional mean, he’s able to find angles and opportunities on his feet that other flyweights can not.
But he’s not going to be faster than Johnson.
Johnson is hands down the quickest and smoothest fighter to ever grace the Octagon, so the odds of Cariaso outpointing him strictly on footwork and hand speed are slim to none.
That said, Cariaso can close the gap in the striking department should he find his range early and remain unpredictable.
Johnson is a fighter that only gets better and more confident as a fight goes on, so the faster Cariaso can mix it up and force the champ to defend on all levels, the better chances he has of scoring some points and stealing momentum.
Preserve his gas tank
While Johnson has finished fights of late, he typically looks to chip away at an opponent and take his time to create his masterpiece.
That could bode well for a guy like Cariaso who also hasn’t done very well in the past when it comes to putting his competitor away, doing so just five times in 22 professional bouts.
Needless to say, the 33-year-old’s best shot at winning the belt is to catch Johnson off guard and put him away.
But that’s way easier said than done, so Cariaso will have to hang his hat on retaining energy, replenishing his gas tank and planning for 25 minutes of hard-fought action.
Keys to victory for Johnson:
Don’t be afraid to wrestle
Despite his divisional ranking (No. 8), Cariaso is a very dangerous opponent for Johnson.
With solid power in his hands, great kickboxing and formidable footwork, Kamikaze can certainly give the champ problems come Fight Night.
Now while Johnson has shown time and time again the diligence and perfected precision to pick opponents apart on the feet, he can’t be afraid to wrestle with Cariaso.
Cariaso‘s takedown defense is questionable at best and that’s coming off fights against guys like Danny Martinez and JussierFormiga.
Johnson is leaps and bounds better in the wrestling department and as one of the best pure athletes the sport has to offer, he has to be ready to shake things up, score some points and drag Cariaso to the canvas.
Stay on the outside
Really the only way Cariaso is going to win this fight is if Johnson gets reckless, fights outside of his game plan and exchanges in close quarters.
With the quickest feet and hands in the business, it’s important that the flyweight king stays along the outside, picks his opportunities, avoids any unnecessary quarrels with Cariaso and makes him earn his respect.
However, Johnson must not be tentative to strike first and deliver damage. He simply needs to find a good balance between the two.
If he can do that and stay loose, he should be able to retain the belt.
Don’t sleep on the UFC 178 card on Saturday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson’s defense of his UFC flyweight title vs. Chris Cariaso may not be the sexiest main event, but whatever the UFC 178 card lacks in…
Don’t sleep on the UFC 178 card on Saturday from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson’s defense of his UFC flyweight title vs. Chris Cariaso may not be the sexiest main event, but whatever the UFC 178 card lacks in the feature, it makes up for in its stellar co-feature, main card and preliminaries.
There are literally five fights on the undercard that could headline a Fight Night event and no one would bat an eye. You know it’s a tight fight card when there are eight fighters in action that are a part of the EA Sports UFC video game roster.
Take a look at this exciting lineup of fights along with viewing information and predictions for each bout. Fights don’t happen on paper, but this schedule of bouts could produce a very memorable night.
Just below the chart is a closer look at the top three fights of the night.
The Silencer
Love him or hate him, MMA and the UFC need guys like “The Notorious” ConorMcGregor. He’s got a big mouth, he’s brash, but boy, can he fight.
Unlike ChaelSonnen, McGregor has the game to match the mic work. He has won all three of his UFC bouts, and he hasn’t lost a fight since 2010.
That said, he’s not invincible. His two losses came by way of submission, but not one of his UFC opponents has been able to expose the fact that he’s simply not great on the ground.
Part of the reason for that is because his defense with the big company has been immaculate. McGregor has thwarted every single attempt to take him to the mat.
Against Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier, he’ll meet the first man capable of taking advantage of him on the mat. Poirier doesn’t possess powerful takedowns like Georges St-Pierre, but he is adept at converting submission opportunities.
He attempts 1.7 submissions per 15 minutes, and six of his 16 wins have come via tapout. The aggression of McGregor will work against him in this bout.
Poirier is great off his back, and he’ll likely use this position to roll McGregor into an armbar or triangle-choke finish.
Welcome to the UFC
Eddie Alvarez is one of the last highly regarded fighters yet to make his debut in the UFC. On Saturday night, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will welcome him, but the greeting will be a rude one.
Alvarez has a solid all-around game, but he’s probably best on his feet. It just so happens that the same can be said for Cerrone.
In Alvarez’s debut, he’ll want to make an impression, and perhaps the best way to do that is by scoring a KO. He’ll be looking for the home run against Cerrone, but instead, he’ll find one of the Cowboy’s vicious kicks to midsection or head. The strike will lead to the beginning of the end.
Cerrone will pounce on his fallen opponent and finish him with his nasty rear-naked choke. It should be impossible to keep Cerrone from a title shot after this win.
Too Fast, Too Skilled, Too Good
Mighty Mouse is one of the fastest athletes you’ll ever see. Cariaso is no slowpoke, but there’s clearly a difference between the two when it comes to pace.
When you combine that with the fact that Johnson works tirelessly at his craft, which allows him to blend speed with technique, he’s the closest thing to a prototypical fighter in the lower weight classes.
To be honest, the only flyweight who can even make for an interesting bout against Johnson is John Dodson. Cariaso will do his best, but ultimately, Johnson will win an easy unanimous decision.
UFC 178 hits Las Vegas on Saturday with a stacked fight card.
The line-up is spearheaded by a flyweight title fight. Champion Demetrious Johnson defends his title against No. 8-ranked contender Chris Cariaso. In the co-main event, No. 5-ranked lightwei…
UFC 178 hits Las Vegas on Saturday with a stacked fight card.
The line-up is spearheaded by a flyweight title fight. Champion Demetrious Johnson defends his title against No. 8-ranked contender Chris Cariaso. In the co-main event, No. 5-ranked lightweight Donald Cerrone welcomes Eddie Alvarez to the UFC.
Also on the main card, No. 5-ranked featherweight Dustin Poirier takes on No. 9-ranked Conor McGregor, No. 6-ranked middleweight Tim Kennedy squares off against No. 10-ranked Yoel Romero and No. 1-ranked women’s bantamweight Cat Zingano returns against No. 8-ranked Amanda Nunes.
The fighters hit the scale for the official weigh-ins at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, and Bleacher Report will have full coverage of the proceedings. Come back for all the results from the UFC 178 weigh-ins.
LAS VEGAS — Yoel Romero talks about his UFC 178 fight against Tim Kennedy, his thoughts on Kennedy, his place in the middleweight division, the importance of connecting with fans by learning English, and more.
LAS VEGAS — Yoel Romero talks about his UFC 178 fight against Tim Kennedy, his thoughts on Kennedy, his place in the middleweight division, the importance of connecting with fans by learning English, and more.
