Tag: Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson’s Flawless Victory over Ali Bagautinov Can’t Save UFC 174

Demetrious Johnson was pretty close to flawless on Saturday in his destruction of Ali Bagautinov.
The champ swept Bagautinov on all three scorecards at UFC 174, looking so dominant in his fourth consecutive flyweight title defense that saying he pitche…

Demetrious Johnson was pretty close to flawless on Saturday in his destruction of Ali Bagautinov.

The champ swept Bagautinov on all three scorecards at UFC 174, looking so dominant in his fourth consecutive flyweight title defense that saying he pitched a shutout doesn’t quite do it justice. It was more like a no-hitter and closer to a perfect game.

So why did it feel like something was missing?

Johnson was partly a victim of circumstance. His unanimous-decision win (50-45 x 3) came at the tail end of an uninspired night of fights in Vancouver, Canada. The last four bouts on the pay-per-view main card went the distance, and despite a split verdict in the evening’s halfhearted heavyweight fight, none was competitive.

By the time we watched Johnson overwhelm Bagautinov in every facet of the main event, we had already watched Rory MacDonald overwhelm Tyron Woodley and Ryan Bader overwhelm Rafael Cavalcante. As for Andrei Arlovski vs. Brendan Schaub? Well, nobody was overwhelmed by that one.

The final fight of the night might have been a good spot for a stoppage, both to break the monotony and to give Johnson his third in a row. It felt as though he had established some momentum during the last year with impressive back-to-back finishes of John Moraga and Joseph Benavidez.

Instead, it appeared that “Mighty Mouse” lapsed back to the form that produced six decision wins and one majority draw during his first seven Octagon appearances.

Again, not entirely his fault. Though Bagautinov was a 5-1 underdog, according to BestFightOdds.com, he came in riding an 11-fight win streak and had never been finished in his professional career. It would be unfair to criticize Johnson for merely blowing his opponent’s doors off for 25 straight minutes.

“I’m the king,” Johnson said in the cage when it was over. “I’ll stay the king as long as I can, man. I’ll keep on knocking them down.”

The victory appears to have him ticketed for a rematch with John Dodson. That fight stands to be as good an offering as the flyweight division can muster right now while simultaneously underscoring the shallow nature of the 125-pound ranks.

Dodson has all the qualities necessary to be a good foil for Johnson and perhaps the physical skills to match him in the cage as well. But the two just fought 16 months ago, and Johnson won by unanimous decision. An encore performance will be fun but doesn’t figure to be the cure for what ails the flyweight division and its champion.

Part of what’s keeping Johnson from stardom must be stylistic. His fights are pure poetry but typically short on signature moments. Too often, watching him work is like listening to a great album without a hit single. Hardcore fans will love it, but the masses just keep nodding along, waiting for the hook.

The only flyweight champion in UFC history is undoubtedly a master of his craft. He zips around the Octagon at breakneck speed—a study in perpetual motion—hitting his opponents a half-dozen times before they can hit him once. He’s young and impeccably rounded, smart and likable. Aside from not being 6’4”, 245 pounds, he may well be the perfect fighter.

Don’t believe it? Just sit back and let the UFC broadcast team remind you again and again.

Like Renan Barao before him, perhaps one of Johnson’s problems is how devilishly hard the fight company’s hype machine is trying to sell him to us.

Even when Bagautinov managed to make things reasonably competitive in the early going, Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan only had eyes for the champion. It seemed as though the narrative had been decided before the fight started, and the announcers were going to keep repeating it until it stuck in our brains like a lousy advertising jingle.

The commentary wasn’t wrong, per se. Johnson is amazing. He is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. But the more the UFC struggles to remind us that what we’re seeing is miraculous—that our minds should be blown by it—the more it all starts to seem manufactured.

That’s kind of a shame for Johnson, a 27-year-old magician who doesn’t always benefit from people shouting about how awesome his tricks are while he’s performing them.

He is a genius. Like a lot of geniuses, his work isn’t easily accessible.

It can’t be properly celebrated in jargon or buzzy catchphrases. It doesn’t lend itself to Linkin Park-infused highlight teasers. It’s remarkable to watch but doesn’t routinely make you jump out of your seat with excitement.

It means he’s an exceptional fighter but not the kind of guy who is going to sell a million PPVs.

He’s not going to save a fight card after it’s already clattered off the rails.

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UFC 174: Fans Exit Early from Demetrious Johnson’s Dominant Title Fight

Demetrious Johnson was the faster fighter. He was the quicker fighter. He was the better fighter in his five-round shutout against Ali Bagautinov at UFC 174 on Saturday.
MMAFighting.com’s Shaun Al-Shatti tweeted this from Johnson’s post-fight interview…

Demetrious Johnson was the faster fighter. He was the quicker fighter. He was the better fighter in his five-round shutout against Ali Bagautinov at UFC 174 on Saturday.

MMAFighting.com’s Shaun Al-Shatti tweeted this from Johnson’s post-fight interview with Joe Rogan:

Flyweight king or not, Johnson’s dominant performance was apparently not enough to keep some of the 13,506 fans at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada from sticking around to watch the champ have his hand raised. 

Sherdog.com’s Jordan Breen tweeted during the title fight:

Possibly stemming from the lack of fans in attendance or simply from the fact that the fight was so one-sided—though the fans who managed to stay seemingly weren’t excited either—MMAFighting.com tweeted:

“Mighty Mouse” wasn’t too bothered by it, though. Johnson first told reporters at the UFC 174 post-fight press conference: “I didn’t notice at all. I was too busy throwing knees in the clinch. It doesn’t bother me at all, you know. People are free to leave and go as they please. They’re not held here in contempt. I think all the educated fans loved it.”

This isn’t the first time Johnson’s dominating performances have gone unappreciated by casual fans. He’s often criticized for being dominant enough to completely dispatch his opponents but not dominant enough to finish his fights inside of the Octagon. 

It’s not all his fault, though—he’s doing his part to put on a solid performance. The stats advertised during the fight only reinforced what people were observing: a one-sided beating by the reigning, defending, undisputed, cursed flyweight champion of the world. By the end of the third round, he had reportedly landed more than 150 strikes. Bagautinov could only hover around 60.

MMAFighting.com’s senior editor Luke Thomas summed up why Johnson’s dominant performances often go unappreciated in a series of tweets:

Hopefully, a rematch with the endlessly charismatic John Dodson will serve as a defibrillator to Johnson’s struggling popularity.

It’s worth noting that this was the first time Johnson had his name announced last at a UFC pay-per-view. His seemingly underwhelming but absolutely dominant performance—coupled with the fans who opted to get drenched in the rain instead of watch Dana White wrap the belt around his waist—could force White and company to question whether they can afford to headline another fight card with Johnson.

 

Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA. 

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UFC 174: Grades for Every Main Card Fighter

In the UFC’s return to the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson defended his strap for the fourth time with a one-sided win over Ali Bagautinov Saturday night at UFC 174.
Granted, the last four fights ended in decisio…

In the UFC’s return to the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson defended his strap for the fourth time with a one-sided win over Ali Bagautinov Saturday night at UFC 174.

Granted, the last four fights ended in decisions, but each fight on the night’s main card had its moments, highlighted by another convincing win in the co-main event from 24-year-old Canadian Rory MacDonald.

Here are grades for each of the five bouts on the main card.

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UFC 174 Results: 3 Fights for Demetrious Johnson to Take Next

It’s official.
UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is as good as it gets.
In a five-round elementary beatdown of top contender Ali Bagautinov, the ultra-slick and uber-smooth Johnson displayed perfect technique, movement, quickness…

It’s official.

UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is as good as it gets.

In a five-round elementary beatdown of top contender Ali Bagautinov, the ultra-slick and uber-smooth Johnson displayed perfect technique, movement, quickness and control from the first bell to the last.

The victory not only serves as the champ’s fourth straight defense, but more so, it’s an exclamation mark on the flyweight division’s short list of worthy contenders.

Johnson has beat them all.

From dynamic wrestlers to powerful punchers, the 27-year-old has knocked them all down like a heat-seeking missile in a one-lane bowling alley.

However, the show must go on and Johnson remains the final act.

Here are three fights for the 125-pound king to take next as he continues his rise to ultimate stardom.

 

Winner of Jussier Formiga vs. Zach Makovsky

With minimal options available at his fingertips, Johnson may be destined to take a fight opposite the winner of August’s showdown between Formiga and Makovsky at UFC 176.

The flyweight bout will not only give Formiga a chance to prove the hype he possessed upon signing with the promotion was not ill-advised, but it also allows Makovsky the opportunity to showcase his skills on a brighter stage.

As one of the more unknown division’s out there, it’s important to promote the up-and-coming prospects making a run for gold.

Makovsky is one of those guys looking for exposure.

In any case, Johnson’s abilities inside and out would present problems for either man. Formiga would be an easier opponent considering his track record for getting finished, but he’s a much more well-rounded fighter than Makovsky.

Johnson would be expected to beat either contender before the final bell rang.

 

Winner of Brad Pickett vs. Ian McCall

Expected to face one another next month at UFC Fight Night 46, flyweight contender MCall and former bantamweight standout Pickett could essentially produce the next title threat in the division.

If you remember, McCall has already fought Johnson twice, losing to him in the UFC’s 2012 flyweight tournament semifinal and tying him in the same previously attempted bout.

Many people believed McCall did enough to overturn anything close to a draw, but Johnson left little to the imagination when the two met for the second time.

As for Pickett, his flyweight debut opposite Neil Seery back in March wasn’t as climatic as we would have hoped it would be, but his victory gives him more divisional momentum than most.

Initially, McCall would pose a bigger threat to Johnson’s reign than Picket would, but if we’ve learned anything over the years while watching a guy like Brad Picket it’s that he can brawl with anyone.

Which either way the chips land, Johnson would have a worthy, promotable opponent.

 

John Dodson

Easily the most obvious choice to challenge Johnson for divisional title rights sometime toward the end of the year, flyweight bowling bowl Dodson is a fighter who can actually hang with the champ.

He’s done it once before, back at UFC on Fox 6, despite losing a five-round decision.

In that fight, Dodson was able to connect on Johnson multiple times, suggesting he could potentially win by finish given the right chain of events.

As someone who has devoured the rest of the division’s growing entities, Dodson simply needs another crack at the title.

If Joseph Benavidez is unable to do it, maybe The Magician can.

 

For more UFC 174 news and coverage,  

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The Real Winners and Losers from UFC 174

If UFC 174 showed one thing, it’s that one man can’t make an event. 
Demetrious Johnson put on a masterful performance. In the same way Fedor Emelianenko played his opponents’ game and beat them, “Mighty Mouse” attacked Ali Bagautinov in the one a…

If UFC 174 showed one thing, it’s that one man can’t make an event. 

Demetrious Johnson put on a masterful performance. In the same way Fedor Emelianenko played his opponents’ game and beat them, “Mighty Mouse” attacked Ali Bagautinov in the one area where Bagautinov was assumed to be superior: the clinch. He brutally tenderized the Russian’s torso from bell to bell.

It left the UFC commentary team asking “What is next for Demetrious Johnson?” It left the Vancouver crowd wondering “Can I beat the traffic if I leave during the second round?”

Indeed, a mass exodus took place during Johnson versus Bagautinov, and there are many ways to interpret that. Are the flyweights still being rejected by fans? Were they dissatisfied with the lengthy stretch of yawn-inducing fights beforehand? Did this stem from comped tickets going to people that just didn’t actually care much?

Tough call. Also beyond my pay grade. 

What I do know is that the biggest loser tonight was Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. He just reasserted himself as one of the greatest fighters in the world, and the only people that could muster up applause were the crickets.

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Demetrious Johnson vs. Ali Bagautinov: What We Learned from UFC 174 Main Event

Demetrious Johnson is one of the best fighters in the world at any weight class. He is technically proficient in all areas, and that showed at UFC 174.
He is a complete fighter who made a very game Ali Bagautinov look uncomfortable.
The champion mixed …

Demetrious Johnson is one of the best fighters in the world at any weight class. He is technically proficient in all areas, and that showed at UFC 174.

He is a complete fighter who made a very game Ali Bagautinov look uncomfortable.

The champion mixed it up well and was able to win round after round en route to a unanimous decision. He frustrated Bagautinov as the fight progressed because there was next to nothing that was working for the Dagestani.

Mighty Mouse is the elite of the elite in the UFC today. He is a special talent.

This is what we learned from the main event of UFC 174.

 

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

There is no one thing we will remember. Johnson was unable to land the knockout strike or nab the submission finish. However, we will remember Johnson’s ridiculous array of skills.

In, out and around—he was everywhere. It is easy to lay a blanket statement and talk about his speed, but his technique is what makes it incredible to watch. It’s not just speed. His footwork and head movement are impeccable. He switches levels remarkably well.

Johnson is the cream of the crop.

 

What We Learned About Ali Bagautinov

We learned Bagautinov has what it takes to become a serious contender.

Sure, he will always be a significant underdog, but he showcased his skills well in this fight. And fighting Johnson will only improve him as a fighter moving forward. He will have learned a great deal from this bout.

Bagautinov was strong in the clinch and has good punching power. He was able to eat many of Johnson’s shots and keep coming. He has the tools to get into a gritty affair against Johnson, but he must be able to do that in a future contest.

The champion’s quickness and well-rounded abilities made it tough at UFC 174, but Bagautinov shouldn’t be counted all the way out in any future matchup.

 

What We Learned About Demetrious Johnson

Honestly, not much. That is only because Mighty Mouse has been simply phenomenal in his recent outings.

He showcased his grit coming up and taking the title against Ian McCall and Joseph Benavidez. He then showcased his resolve against John Dodson. He finally followed that up with submission and KO victories over John Moraga and Benavidez, respectively.

He’s shown a full range of skills and abilities. That is why he deserves to be mentioned in the pound-for-pound discussion.

 

What’s Next for Ali Bagautinov

He will not fall far down the rankings, if at all, but he is not close to a title rematch. Should the UFC line him up against another top-five fighter such as John Moraga? That’s highly questionable.

Bagautinov is at least two fights away, and as such, he should fight someone in the back half of the top 10 before getting into a potential title eliminator. Seeing Bagautinov face off against the winner of August’s matchup between Timothy Elliott and Wilson Reis would be a treat for UFC fans.

 

What’s Next for Demetrious Johnson

John Dodson.

That is the only name that makes sense, and the top-ranked contender is coming off a victory over No. 5-ranked John Moraga. He has done everything he needs to do to earn the rematch, and he is the only man to pose a real threat to Johnson’s reign.

This is the fight to make.

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