The UFC has arrived in Vancouver with UFC 174, headlined by the flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Ali Bagautinov.
The exciting main event is backed up by local favorite Rory MacDonald vs. Tyron Woodley and the return of former heavyw…
The UFC has arrived in Vancouver with UFC 174, headlined by the flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Ali Bagautinov.
The exciting main event is backed up by local favorite Rory MacDonald vs. Tyron Woodley and the return of former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski going up against Brendan Schaub. And it also features a top-15 light heavyweight battle between Ryan Bader and Rafael Cavalcante.
That’s just the main card. UFC 174 gives you one more on the main card, and six preliminary bouts. Join us here at B/R tomorrow for complete UFC 174 coverage.
Little guys have to work extra hard for respect. Call it unfair, but call it reality. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is experiencing this firsthand as he has all but dominated every opponent since moving to the division. …
Little guys have to work extra hard for respect. Call it unfair, but call it reality. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is experiencing this firsthand as he has all but dominated every opponent since moving to the division.
Still, he’s one of the least popular champions in the promotion.
The technically sound speed merchant will put his talents on display and title on the line Saturday night at UFC 174 in Vancouver. His opponent is the relative newcomer from Russia, Ali Bagautinov. This will only be Bagautinov’s fourth fight in the UFC.
Those two will main event the festivities.
Since this is the last UFC event before the EA Sports UFCvideo game releases on June 17, Mighty Mouse will have the perfect mouthpiece for the occasion.
Expect a ton of promos for the game during the event. Move over, Metro PCS.
The Johnson-Bagautinov bout will be supported by a strong undercard filled with recognizable names and faces. Here’s a look at the full card with predictions, start times and viewing information for the entire event. Below the table is a closer look at the three biggest bouts on the card.
Mighty Mouse’s Speed Will Be Too Much for Bagautinov
While the challenger has ample power to stop anyone in the flyweight division, you can’t hit what you can’t catch.
Johnson’s speed and defensive acumen are what make him one of the best fighters in the world. Bagautinov has never faced an opponent this fast and technically sound. He has a puncher’s chance (no pun intended), but don’t expect anything more than a dominant five-round display from the champion in a successful title defense.
Once that’s done, perhaps he’ll rematch with John “The Magician” Dodson. The ultra-explosive Dodson gave Johnson his most competitive fight back in Jan. 2013.
Earlier this month, Dodson stopped John Moraga to maintain his status as a top contender. Dodson believes the UFC is protecting Johnson, but he still sees himself as Mighty Mouse’s ultimate conqueror. Dodson told Marc Raimondi of Fox Sports:
They can keep on giving Demetrious Johnson whoever they want to make him look like a better champion, make him look like he can be a spectacular fighter and cement his name in that division. It’s gonna make me look better when I knock him out.
That is indeed an interesting bout, but Johnson must take care of business on Saturday first.
Woodley’s Speed and Explosiveness Will Overwhelm MacDonald
This is a very difficult bout to predict because MacDonald has a three-inch height advantage and is the more technical striker, while Woodley is the quicker, stronger, more explosive fighter.
Woodley has fight-changing power and explosion. He has proven himself to be a solid wrestler too. His strength and quick-twitch athleticism are tough to game-plan for.
MacDonald will have a difficult time adjusting to the ground Woodley can cover. This will cost him dearly.
At times, MacDonald can be too technical and robotic. In this fight, Woodley’s speed will take away MacDonald’s ability and time to react and counter. A big punch will put him in peril, while ground-and-pound will lead to a finish and victory for Woodley.
Bader’s Wrestling Dominance Will Lead Him to Victory
Though Cavalcante hails from Team Nogueira, a squad noted for its grappling prowess, he isn’t as good on the ground as Bader.
This fight might look similar to Bader’s bout with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Cavalcante isn’t as helpless on the mat as Rampage, but once Bader gains top position, Feijao will be at Darth’s mercy.
This is a good matchup for Bader in a fight he must win to continue to be considered a serious contender at light heavyweight.
Every king needs a crown, and Ali Bagautinov has his sights set on taking the one he wants at UFC 174. The 28-year-old Dagestani will step into the Octagon to face reigning flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in the main event of the organizatio…
Every king needs a crown, and Ali Bagautinov has his sights set on taking the one he wants at UFC 174. The 28-year-old Dagestani will step into the Octagon to face reigning flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in the main event of the organization’s return to Vancouver, British Columbia, this Saturday night.
“Mighty Mouse” is widely recognized as one of the sport’s pound-for-pound best and has been on a tear since claiming the inaugural flyweight title back in 2012. He’s successfully defended the 125-pound strap on three occasions, with his two most recent title defenses resulting in impressive stoppage victories.
From the look of things, “D.J.” is only getting better, but Bagautinov is determined to dethrone the champion when the two men step in to the Octagon on Saturday. Much like the titleholder, Bagautinov will be riding a strong wave of momentum into their title tilt at UFC 174, and he has every intention of keeping things rolling in Vancouver.
In what will undoubtedly be the biggest moment of his mixed martial arts career, Bagautinov is looking to capitalize on the tremendous opportunity in front of him.
“It is the most important thing in my life,” Bagautinov told Bleacher Report with the assistance of a translator. “It is the greatest thing in my life, and I do feel a lot responsibility coming into this fight. I believe everything has its own time, and I believe my time has come. The time has come for a new champion to have the belt.”
The Moscow-based fighter has found success in 11 consecutive showings on a run that has taken him to the top of the increasingly competitive flyweight division. Bagautinov made an immediate impact in his promotional debut when he earned a third-round TKO victory over Marcos Vinicius last September in Brazil, and he picked up wins over Tim Elliott and John Lineker, respectively, in his next two outings.
While Bagautinov wasted no time carving his way through the ranks of the 125-pound fold, he also believes he picked up a crucial amount of experience along the way.
All three of his bouts have come on the main card portion of the events he’s competed at, and fighting when the crowds in attendance were at their most raucous allowed him to quickly adapt to the unique environment of the sport’s biggest stage.
When Bagautinov first stepped into the Octagon he was a stranger in a strange land, but he believes this won’t be the case at UFC 174. The surging contender feels he’s fully adjusted to fighting under the bright lights of the UFC and will be prepared to shine when those lights are at their brightest when he faces Johnson this Saturday night at UFC 174.
“The first time I fought for the UFC it was in Brazil and I couldn’t even understand what was going on around me,” Bagautinov said. “In the second fight, I had more or less acclimated to my surroundings and was able to show a lot of the skills I possess. With every time out there—and with each matchup—I can feel myself becoming stronger, and I’m that much more assured and comfortable in there. I feel better with each fight, and I expect that to continue with this fight coming up.
“Whether the fight is on pay-per-view or not doesn’t mean anything to me,” he added. “I’m not getting anything from that. From my very first fight inside the Octagon, I have been on the main card, with my last two fights both being on pay-per-view cards. All of my fights in the UFC have come in what has felt like a big setting, so this fight being on pay-per-view won’t affect me at all.”
Duane Finley is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand, unless noted otherwise.
It has been three years, nearly to the day, since the Ultimate Fighting Championship and its one-Octagon circus last rolled into Vancouver. The sport of mixed martial arts has long been plagued with issues in British Columbia, and the issues were great…
It has been three years, nearly to the day, since the Ultimate Fighting Championship and its one-Octagon circus last rolled into Vancouver. The sport of mixed martial arts has long been plagued with issues in British Columbia, and the issues were great enough that the UFC avoided the area altogether.
Those issues are mostly resolved now, and the promotion is headed back to town with a world championship fight and an intriguing main card that features the return of one of its more popular former heavyweight champions. And, as always, the entire card is available for viewer consumption in one form or another.
So kick back, prepare your mouse-clicking finger and get ready to check out the entire UFC 174: Johnson vs. Bagautinov fight card.
With three title defenses down, Demetrious Johnson is on his way toward becoming a UFC legend.
At UFC 174, he’ll look to make it four in a row against Ali Bagautinov. If successful, Johnson would match the title reigns of MMA greats Frank Shamrock, Pat…
With three title defenses down, Demetrious Johnson is on his way toward becoming a UFC legend.
At UFC 174, he’ll look to make it four in a row against Ali Bagautinov. If successful, Johnson would match the title reigns of MMA greats Frank Shamrock, Pat Miletich and Chuck Liddell.
Bagautinov won’t go down easy, though. The Russian has won 11 in a row and is undefeated inside the Octagon.
Here is a closer look at how Johnson and Bagautinov match up in all areas ahead of their meeting Saturday.
UFC Fight Night 42 is in the books. The results are as follows:
Benson Henderson defeats Rustam Khabilov via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:16 of the fourth round
Diego Sanchez defeats Ross Pearson by split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)
John…
UFC Fight Night 42 is in the books. The results are as follows:
Benson Henderson defeats RustamKhabilov via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:16 of the fourth round
Diego Sanchez defeats Ross Pearson by split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)
John Dodson defeats John Moraga by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of the second round
Rafael dos Anjos defeats Jason High by TKO at 3:36 of the second round
Piotr Hallmann defeats Yves Edwards via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:31 of the third round
Bryan Caraway defeats Erik Perez via submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:52 of the second round
Sergio Pettis defeats YaotzinMeza by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Lance Benoist defeats Bobby Voelker by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Scott Jorgensen defeats Danny Martinez by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Jon Tuck defeats Jake Lindsey by TKO (verbal tapout) at 2:47 of the third round
Patrick Cummins defeats Roger Narvaez by TKO at 2:28 of the second round
Headlined by the flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Ali Bagautinov, UFC 174 has an intriguing mix of young and old talent. A potential welterweight title eliminator sits in the co-main event slot and two important light heavyweight tilts in Ovince St. Preux vs. Ryan Jimmo and Rafael Cavalcante vs. Ryan Bader. Oh…and former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski is returning after six years. That’s pretty cool, too.
So what topics are worth discussing around the water cooler?
Little guys have to work extra hard for respect. Call it unfair, but call it reality. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is experiencing this firsthand as he has all but dominated every opponent since moving to the division.