Demetrious Johnson disposed of another contender at UFC on Fox 9, knocking out Joseph Benavidez in an important flyweight rematch. With another tough challenger behind him, options are becoming limited for “Mighty Mouse” in his still-developing 125-pou…
Demetrious Johnson disposed of another contender at UFC on Fox 9, knocking out Joseph Benavidez in an important flyweight rematch. With another tough challenger behind him, options are becoming limited for “Mighty Mouse” in his still-developing 125-pound division.
A quick look at the current flyweight rankings suggests Johnson is set up for dominance in the UFC’s newest male division.
In his past five fights, “Mighty Mouse” has beaten No. 1 contender Benavidez twice, defeated No. 2 and No. 3 contenders John Dodson and Ian McCall in decisions and submitted No. 4 contender John Moraga. As a result, no contender currently sticks out as being next in line to challenge Johnson.
Here are most intriguing options as the 125-pound division currently stands.
John Dodson
Although “The Magician” has only picked up one win since losing to Johnson, he’s still a viable choice to be next for the flyweight champion.
Dodson was unanimously beaten on the scorecards against Johnson, but the Jackson’s MMA fighter was competitive with the titleholder and gave “Mighty Mouse” a scare with a second-round knockdown. Like Benavidez, Dodson brings power to the equation against Johnson, but he is also quick enough to avoid being blown away by the champion’s speed.
Following a win over Darrell Montague in October, Dodson could have made a significant case for a title shot had he beaten Scott Jorgensen on Saturday. However, an injury forced Dodson out of that matchup and put him in a position where he’d only be named the next title challenger out of desperation.
Ian McCall-Brad Pickett Winner
Having already come up short of victory in two fights with Johnson, McCall would be a surprising candidate to fill in as the next flyweight title challenger.
However, even as a newcomer to the 125-pound class, Brad Pickett is a legitimate option to meet the champion. Along with bantamweight titleholder Dominick Cruz, the Englishman is one of only two fighters to hold a win over Johnson.
If Pickett finds a way to beat “Uncle Creepy” in March, the intrigue of a rematch with “Mighty Mouse” could quickly propel him into his first shot at a UFC championship.
John Lineker
The Brazilian has won four in a row and is the most highly ranked contender without a loss to Johnson. In that sense, he’s the ideal fighter to meet “Mighty Mouse” now.
Unfortunately, Lineker has missed weight in three of his five UFC appearances. That troubling trend presents the risk that Lineker would ruin a title fight, though, so it’s unlikely he will be booked for a championship bout until he gives UFC matchmakers a reason to trust him.
Lineker has teamed with famed MMA nutritionist Mike Dolce, so should he make weight and keep his winning streak going through his next fight or two, it will only be a matter of time until he gets his chance to fight for the belt. Still, that time is not now.
Dustin Ortiz
Currently unranked and the owner of only one UFC win, Dustin Ortiz is barely in the race for a title shot, but he has a hugely important fight coming up.
At UFC Fight Night 35, Ortiz will meet former title challenger John Moraga. Should he beat Moraga impressively in January, the 24-year-old will immediately be considered a Top 10 flyweight and a legitimate threat to Johnson’s championship.
With the Johnson’s next opponent being so uncertain right now, Ortiz has a golden opportunity to throw his name in the hat next month.
Pound for pound is a daft expression, and one which I hate using. Chael Sonnen likened pound-for-pound debates to arguments over all the possible variables involved in a Batman-versus-Superman matchup. In truth, the expression “pound for pound” was cre…
Pound for pound is a daft expression, and one which I hate using. ChaelSonnen likened pound-for-pound debates to arguments over all the possible variables involved in a Batman-versus-Superman matchup. In truth, the expression “pound for pound” was created to talk about just how technically superb Sugar Ray Robinson was when compared to any fighter in the world.
If you put Demetrious Johnson or even Anderson Silva in with a middle-tier heavyweight, they would probably lose—for the same reason that Ronda Rousey wouldn’t last a round against a decent male fighter of her weight. Strength and size are a big deal. I write a lot about technique and strategy, so you might imagine that I wouldn’t think that, but it’s the truth.
Demetrious Johnson, at his weight, is the finest in the world. And he proved that emphatically by starching Joseph Benavidez in a single round Saturday at UFC on Fox 9.
But more than that, per pound of body weight, he might just be the most skilled fighter in the world. A 200-pound Demetrious Johnson, with his wrestling, movement, and understanding of the technical and strategic sides of the game, would be a nightmare for anyone.
We’re all still reeling from the fights, so let’s take a quick look at how it took place.
Out with Ring Cutting, in with Low Kicking
I spoke last week about how Benavidez‘s trouble in the first bout was that he couldn’t manufacture the one situation where his advantage on paper, being the power striker, would matter. Out in the middle of the Octagon, chasing after Johnson and swinging at air, Benavidez was simply tiring himself out and getting picked apart by the flyweight king.
In that first bout, Johnson’s corner repeatedly told him to square up and cut off the ring. This is the boxing method of dealing with a fleet-footed fighter. Like all methods, it has its merits and its faults. The great fault of cutting off the ring is that it requires a fighter to square up to his opponent and offer more of a target so that he can be a more imposing presence.
In the first bout, Johnson spent much of the time circling, waiting for Benavidez to widen his stance, then firing a right straight and moving right into a clinch.
Since that first bout, Duane “Bang” Ludwig, an excellent kickboxer and coach, has joined Team Alpha Male and has been working with the already excellent wrestlers there toward rounding out their striking. With Ludwig in Benavidez‘s corner, you knew Joe-B-Wan would be operating to a well-thought-out game plan on the feet.
The plan seemed to be similar to Mauricio Rua’s answer to LyotoMachida—back the runner up, then chop his legs out while he’s in no position to check low kicks. It worked a treat for the short duration of the bout. Benavidez would charge straight in, miss every punch, and as Johnson circled away, he would hammer in a good kick. Benavidez almost caught Johnson circling off the fence with a good high kick!
Midway through the opening round, however, Benavidez rushed Johnson but got turned onto the fence. We spoke about the downsides to each method of dealing with the runner. The chase-and-low-kick method’s great flaw is that the opponent can step in and jam the chase.
In the case of Shogun and Machida, Shogun ate a good few counterstraights and knees from Machida. In last night’s case, Johnson stepped in, met Benavidez, then easily turned him and reversed position. Of course it was part Johnson moving in and turning, and partly Benavidez placing himself on the fence, but Johnson wasn’t going to argue about responsibility when he had the opportunity for unanswered offence.
The Rear-Hand Hook
With his back to the fence, Benavidez refused to take Johnson’s route of running out and engaging from a better position, instead trying to fight his way out. Johnson, now in the driver’s seat, stepped in, checked Benavidez‘s lead hand and threw hard.
Benavidez had switched to southpaw while throwing a kick and attempted to hook at Johnson off the fence. Benavidez‘s narrowed gait prevented him from throwing an authoritative lead hook to where Johnson had moved his head off line. Benavidez also dropped his hand to escape Johnson’s hand control, then swung wide at the shoulder in attempt to reach out and catch Johnson.
The shot which Johnson dropped Benavidez with was almost identical to that which Mike Zambidis knocked NorifumiYamamoto out with in K-1. Getting the head and lead foot on the outside of the opponent’s lead shoulder places the hooking shoulder almost out of sight of the opponent. It is such a dangerous counter because it is almost impossible to see coming when a fighter is throwing his own lead hand.
Yamamoto was attempting to jab off the ropes, while Benavidez seemed to be attempting to swing off the cage, and Zambidis‘ shot was more of a counter, while Johnson’s was a lead which ended up in an exchange, but the mechanics and effect are almost identical.
That rear hook from open guard (southpaw versus orthodox) has the potential to catch so many fighters out through the blind angle if you get in close enough to use it.
Add to that that the rear hook is near useless in a closed-guard (orthodox versus orthodox or southpaw versus southpaw) engagement because it must be thrown slightly overhand in order to clear the opponent’s lead shoulder and guard. From open guard it can be thrown almost on an upward trajectory if a fighter so chooses.
Aftermath
It is unfortunate and perhaps unfair that Benavidez showed to be troubling Johnson with a good game plan—suffering no consequences for throwing the low kicks which he was too cautious to throw in their first fight—yet ended up being finished in this bout and surviving to the decision in the previous one.
It is said time and time again about Demetrious Johnson, but he is getting better and better with each performance. This being his second dominating stoppage in two fights, if Johnson can continue this and establish himself as a finisher, he stands to become a true breakout star for the flyweight division.
Pick up Jack’s eBooks Advanced Striking and Elementary Striking from his blog, Fights Gone By.
For an event that was initially much better on paper and seemed certain to disappoint, UFC on FOX 9 came through. The card was entertaining and ended in one of the best knockouts in recent memory.
Zach Makovsky defeated Scott Jorgensen via decision. Interestingly enough, Makovsky—a former Bellator champ—didn’t have to prove himself in WSOF to get a shot in the UFC. Funny how things work out like that, isn’t it?
Pat Healy dropped a unanimous decision to Bobby Green. The crowd booed the announcement (or maybe they were saying boo-urns). The decision wasn’t horrible although it was pretty clear Green didn’t win all three rounds (but somehow 2/3 judges thought he did).
Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo elevated the card’s energy level. In the first round, Castillo ran over Barboza like a freight train. He floored the Brazilian striker, unleashed vicious ground-and-pound, and nearly choked him out. Somehow, Barboza survived the torrent of offense and even managed to reverse his fortunes in the second round. In that frame, Barboza made use of leg and body kicks to stymie Castillo and nearly finish him. The third round was a little closer and slower-paced. Barboza walked away with a majority decision.
In the last preliminary fight, rising star and late replacement Ryan LaFlare carved up Court McGee‘s face with pinpoint striking. The Long Islander outworked McGee until the third round, where he started to gas a little bit. But LaFlare’s work in the first two rounds was enough to secure a unanimous decision.
For an event that was initially much better on paper and seemed certain to disappoint, UFC on FOX 9 came through. The card was entertaining and ended in one of the best knockouts in recent memory.
Zach Makovsky defeated Scott Jorgensen via decision. Interestingly enough, Makovsky—a former Bellator champ—didn’t have to prove himself in WSOF to get a shot in the UFC. Funny how things work out like that, isn’t it?
Pat Healy dropped a unanimous decision to Bobby Green. The crowd booed the announcement (or maybe they were saying boo-urns). The decision wasn’t horrible although it was pretty clear Green didn’t win all three rounds (but somehow 2/3 judges thought he did).
Edson Barboza vs. Danny Castillo elevated the card’s energy level. In the first round, Castillo ran over Barboza like a freight train. He floored the Brazilian striker, unleashed vicious ground-and-pound, and nearly choked him out. Somehow, Barboza survived the torrent of offense and even managed to reverse his fortunes in the second round. In that frame, Barboza made use of leg and body kicks to stymie Castillo and nearly finish him. The third round was a little closer and slower-paced. Barboza walked away with a majority decision.
In the last preliminary fight, rising star and late replacement Ryan LaFlare carved up Court McGee‘s face with pinpoint striking. The Long Islander outworked McGee until the third round, where he started to gas a little bit. But LaFlare’s work in the first two rounds was enough to secure a unanimous decision.
The once-much-better main card began with a mismatch (though it was fun to watch). Joe Lauzon brutalized the hopelessly outmatched Mac Danzig for 15 minutes en route to a unanimous decision victory. It was a bloody affair. Lauzon tempered his intensity with caution, not over-pursuing any finishes. Instead, he remained content with control and moderate amounts of damage that snowballed into the end result: Danzig’s face looking like it had gone through a wood chipper.
Chad Mendes and Nik Lentz faced off next. Mendes was his normal studly self early on, but succumbed to the fight’s pace. He won the fight via UD. It wasn’t the prettiest performance though. During a post-fight news blurb on FOX, Ariel Helwani claimed Mendes had a sinus infection (I think that’s the first time we’ve heard that excuse), so maybe that explains it.
The co-main event of the evening pitted Urijah Faber vs. Michael McDonald. The 22-year-old McDonald was out of his depth. Faber took the first round easily enough. In the second, “The California Kid” stunned McDonald and swarmed him. After a few punches against the staggered McDonald, Faber scored a guillotine finish. It was an excellent display of killer instinct. Faber became an animal when he saw McDonald was hurt.
The main event ended in unbelievable fashion. Demetrious Johnson landed a right hook that lawnchair’dJoseph Benavidez in the first round. It’s undoubtedly the most incredible KO in flyweight history and will likely stay that way for quite some time.
TL;DR – UFC on FOX 9 was supposed to be an incredible free card that demanded our attention. It was still fun due to the performances on the main card, but it could’ve been so much more had the plague of injuries never happened.
Complete Results:
Main Card
Demetrious Johnson def. Joseph Benavidez via KO (punch), 2:08 of Round 1
Urijah Faber def. Michael McDonald via submission (guillotine), 3:22 of Round 2
Chad Mendes def. Nik Lentz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Joe Lauzon def. Mac Danzig via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Card
Ryan LaFlare def. Court McGee via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Edson Barboza def. Danny Castillo via majority decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Bobby Green def. Pat Healy via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Zach Makovsky def. Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Sam Stout def. Cody McKenzie via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Abel Trujillo def. Roger Bowling via TKO (strikes), 1:35 of Round 2
Alptekin Ozkilic def. Daren Uyenoyama via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Challenger Joseph Benavidez (19-4) and champion Demetrious Johnson (19-2-1) both loaded up big right hands about two minutes through the first round of their flyweight title fight.
Only one connected.
Johnson hit his opponent squarely. Benavidez o…
Challenger Joseph Benavidez (19-4) and champion Demetrious Johnson (19-2-1) both loaded up big right hands about two minutes through the first round of their flyweight title fight.
Only one connected.
Johnson hit his opponent squarely. Benavidez only hit air. Then he hit the mat, awakening to find officials surrounding him—a bitter way to learn he failed in a second attempt to win UFC gold.
The challenger, in truth, never saw it coming. Eyes closed, he had only his own right hook on his mind. After all, it’s one of his best weapons—a shot that can finish a fight if it lands.
Power was thought to be Benavidez’s big advantage in this bout. If anyone was ending the fight with one punch, it was going to be Benavidez. Johnson, conventional wisdom proclaimed, had to be perfect for 25 minutes on his way to a decision.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
One wrong for each of the punches that Johnson landed on the ground. He delivered them with lighting speed and efficiency in the heartbeat between knocking Benavidez to the floor and referee John McCarthy arriving on the scene to remove the challenger from harm’s way.
So much for Johnson not being a finisher.
In fairness, it was a reputation that he earned in the cage. Seven consecutive Johnson fights between 2011 and 2013 went to the judges’ scorecards. But after he has now finished two in a row, perhaps it’s time to rewrite the book on the flyweight kingpin.
They say speed kills. If that’s true, Johnson may just be the most dangerous man in UFC history. Beating his opponent to the punch has been a way of life for him. But he’s done it while maintaining constant motion, often landing punches that were more for the judges than to end the fight.
Sitting down on his punches for the first time in his career and looking to generate more power, Johnson looked like a new man. This was a different approach, but one that makes sense in today’s mixed martial arts.
“Tonight was a great moment for my career, but in reality it’s just another fight,” Johnson said. ”My goal is to keep evolving and displaying my skill set to fans and having them enjoy my fights.”
The question surrounding Johnson, at this point, is the talent of the division that is slowly being built around him. Benavidez was widely considered the top contender. Johnson has now beaten him twice. While the UFC could throw other guys in with him, no one else in the division generates much interest.
Perhaps after this highlight-reel knockout, Johnson can provide a little box-office juice of his own. As pre-fight host Curt Menefee mentioned, the champion has fought his last three bouts on Fox.
That’s not a good thing for Johnson.
While it has exposed him to millions of fans, it also means the UFC doesn’t quite trust him to headline a successful pay-per-view. And the promotion was probably correct—Johnson wasn’t ready. But with a few more right hands, it’s not too hard to see him standing tall alongside his fellow champions.
The card was officially billed as UFC on Fox 9, but it very well could have passed as “Team Alpha Male vs. Everybody.” The Sacramento-based contingent had four representatives on Saturday night’s card when the UFC returned to their hometown, with …
The card was officially billed as UFC on Fox 9, but it very well could have passed as “Team Alpha Male vs. Everybody.” The Sacramento-based contingent had four representatives on Saturday night’s card when the UFC returned to their hometown, with each being slated in a high-profile tilt.
While his teammates had important fights on Saturday night, there is no doubt the biggest bout for the team came on the shoulders of No. 1 flyweight contender Joseph Benavidez.
“Jobe” stepped in for his second attempt at the 125-pound strap when he met champion Demetrious Johnson in their highly anticipated rematch. “Mighty Mouse” edged out the New Mexico native in their first tilt at UFC 152 in September 2012, and Benavidez was looking to make good on his second attempt in front of lively Sacramento crowd at UFC on Fox 9.
Unfortunately for the New Mexico native, Johnson would have none of it. The reigning champion kept his flyweight title intact by pulling off a devastating knockout victory in the first round of the tilt.
Both fighters stepped in to throw a big shot, but it was Johnson who landed, and Benavidez crumbled to the canvas. With the win, Johnson picked up his third consecutive title defense and put a large gap between himself and the rest of the pack at 125-pounds.
The squad’s leader Urijah Faber stepped in to trade leather with surging young upstart Michael McDonald in a co-main event that carried heavy title implications in the bantamweight division. The fighter who emerged victorious would most likely earn a title shot, where the loser would be bumped out of that picture for the immediate future.
Where there was talk of “old school” versus “new school” coming into the bout, Faber proved he’s very much a part of the future wave of MMA as he put a drubbing on McDonald.
“The California Kid” had a solid opening round but turned it up in the second as he worked “Mayday” in brutal fashion en route to earning a submission finish via guillotine choke. The win is Faber’s fourth consecutive victory and should put him on the doorstep of another title shot.
Another Team Alpha Male fighter who would be looking to further his championship ambitions at UFC on Fox 9 was Chad Mendes.
The perennial featherweight contender brought a four-fight winning streak, all coming by way of knockout, into his scrap with Nik Lentz. Where “Money” was the heavy favorite going into the fight, the scrappy American Top Team fighter got under his skin with trash-talk in the pre-fight buildup, and their tilt was dubbed “the people’s main event” on the card.
While Mendes had the table set to earn another shot at the featherweight strap, things may not have worked out in his favor even though he earned the unanimous-decision victory over Lentz.
The former title challenger got out to a hot start in the first by dropping “The Carny” but seemed to gas-out in the process. He reverted back to his wrestle-heavy style in the final two rounds, and while he earned the victory, his stock could have very well taken a hit in a heated 145-pound title picture.
In addition to the “Team Alpha Male Exhibition,” there was plenty of action to be had at the Sleep Train Arena. With no fight on the card coming north of the 170-pound weight class, the lighter-weight fighters took advantage of the opportunity to showcase their skills as high-paced tilts were hitting the Octagon left and right. Of course, what would a UFC event be without a few curious occurrences mixed in?
Let’s take a look at the good, bad and strange from UFC on Fox 9.
The Good
In an era of dominant champions, Johnson often gets overlooked. While he doesn’t carry the name value as some of his peers, the level of performance he’s been displaying inside the Octagon is certainly on par with the rest of the title holders.
“Mighty Mouse” had two successful title defenses heading into his rematch with Benavidez, and it only took him half-a-round to pick up his third as he knocked out the Team Alpha Male fighter midway through the opening round. While Johnson isn’t heralded for his power, he dropped a perfectly timed right hand that put Benavidez on his back staring up at the lights in the Sleep Train Arena.
While his victory over Benavidez was undoubtedly his most impressive win to date, it also showed the flyweight champion is still evolving as a fighter. Three years ago, he was a talented wrestler with great speed, now he is one of the most complete mixed martial artists in the world. His leveling of Benavidez also proved there is a large gap between him and the next best fighter in the 125-pound collective.
Staying with remarkable performances, how impressive is Faber? The Team Alpha Male leader continues to prove he’s one of top bantamweight fighters on the planet, putting another huge feather in his cap by steamrolling Michael McDonald at UFC on Fox 9.
“The California Kid” had been on an impressive run since losing to Renan Barao at UFC 149 in 2012 as he had picked up three consecutive victories, all coming as the result of solid showings.
That level of success would typically be enough to earn another championship opportunity, but with the bantamweight title picture in disarray between champion Dominick Cruz’s layoff due to injury and interim champion Renan Barao waiting to unify the titles, Faber’s the choice to keep things rolling.
Coming into his fight on Saturday night with McDonald, there was plenty at stake, and in typical Faber style, he showed up under the bright lights.
In what was arguably his best performance to date, the 34-year-old put a beating on the 22-year-old former title challenger. After winning the opening round, Faber turned up the heat on McDonald in the second, and the Modesto-based fighter broke under the pressure. The former WEC featherweight champion hurt McDonald with strikes before locking a fight-ending guillotine.
With the victory Faber now makes a case for title contention that is difficult to argue. He will have to wait for Cruz and Barao to settle their business at UFC 169 in February, but his next outing should come with championship gold on the line.
*** Joe Lauzon needed a win in a big way, and he got it at the expense of Mac Danzig. The Ultimate Fighter alums locked up to kick off the Fox portion of the card, and it was all “J-Lau” once the cage door closed in Sacramento.
Coming into the bout, the Massachusetts native had dropped three of his last four showings, and the victory over Danzig brought an end to what had been a tough run in 2013 for the avid fight-night bonus winner.
*** While I will address the decision in the next category, both Danny Castillo and Edson Barboza deserve props for putting on a fantastic fight. “Last Call” took the momentum in the first round as he dropped and nearly finished the Brazilian striker in the opening frame. Barboza regained his footing and bounced back to take the second and third rounds in exciting fashion.
The Renzo Gracie-trained fighter ultimately won the unanimous decision, but the outcome is certainly questionable with only one of the three cageside judges scoring the first round a 10-8 in Castillo’s favor. That said, it was a fantastic scrap and both fighters showed out in Sacramento.
*** Bobby Green kept his hot streak alive by defeating Pat Healy in a grueling three-round affair on the preliminary portion of the card.
The 27-year-old Californian outlasted the gritty veteran to earn the unanimous-decision victory and moves to a perfect 3-0 in the UFC since coming over from Strikeforce. The bout was Green’s second in just north of a month and defeating Healy will move him up a couple rungs on the lightweight ladder.
*** Taking his first fight in the UFC on short notice against one of the flyweight division’s top-ranked fighters was apparently of little concern to Zach Makovsky.
The former Bellator champion squared-off with Scott Jorgensen on the preliminary portion of the card and worked an effective game plan to earn the unanimous-decision victory. The win was his third consecutive overall. Defeating a fighter of Jorgensen’s status will certainly guarantee his next opponent comes from higher up the 125-pound ladder.
*** Another fighter who capitalized on a short-notice opportunity was Ryan LaFlare. The 30-year-old New Yorker just defeated Santiago Ponzinibbio at Fight Night 32 on Nov. 9. He then turned around and picked up a unanimous-decision victory over Court McGee on Saturday night. It was a gritty battle, but LaFlare outworked the TUF alum to pick up the win in Sacramento.
*** Their first meeting may have ended in controversial fashion, but Abel Trujillo left zero doubt on the table in his rematch with Roger Bowling on Saturday night.
The Blackzilian’s-trained fighter absolutely trucked the Cincinnati native as he delivered a brutal beating which forced referee John McCarthy to step in and end the onslaught the second round. His performance at UFC on Fox 9 was easily Trujillo’s most impressive showing out of his four bouts under the UFC banner.
The Bad
While Benavidez is undoubtedly one of the best flyweight fighters on the planet, his loss to Demetrious Johnson was certainly a devastating blow for the No. 1 contender. It was just north of a year since their first championship go-around in which Benavidez was edged out, and then on Saturday night, he suffered his second loss to Johnson in 15 months.
Where Benavidez was defeated via split decision in their first bout at UFC 152 in 2012, on Saturday night, he was at the receiving end of a violent knockout to the reigning champion. While Benavidez will undoubtedly rebound from the loss, two failed title shots in such a short amount of time will certainly serve to keep him out of the title picture in the flyweight division for some time.
No fighter on the card for UFC on Fox 9 needed a victory more than Danzig. The former Season 6 TUF winner had dropped three of his four most recent showings and had his back firmly placed up against the wall going into his bout with Lauzon. The lightweight scrap kicked off the Fox portion of the card, and after some early success from Danzig, the bout was all Lauzon.
The Bridgewater native used his grappling to take dominant positions when the fight hit the canvas, and from there, he proceeded to punish the 33-year-old with a brutal barrage of elbows. By the end of the second round, Danzig’s face was crimson, and “J-Lau” cruised to the unanimous-decision victory.
With the loss, Danzig has now been defeated in back-to-back outings and suffered setbacks in four of his last five. While the Ohio native has been with the organization since 2007 and has competed inside the Octagon on 13 occasions, he will be forced to take a long, hard look at his career following his performance on Saturday night.
While there is no doubt Danzig still has plenty of fight left in him, the lightweight division is a shark tank, and he very well may have run out of room with the loss to Lauzon.
Another fighter in desperate need of a win at UFC on Fox 9 was Jorgensen, and he was hoping a drop down to flyweight would help him get things back on track.
Where “Young Guns” had once been a staple in the upper tier of the bantamweight division, a rough patch where he lost three of four outings pushed him off the 135-pound title radar for the foreseeable future. That said, by dropping down into the 125-pound fold, Jorgensen automatically became a top-ranked fighter by entering the division.
Coming into Saturday night, the Idaho-based fighter needed to get off to a big start in his flyweight run, and that just didn’t happen. The veteran was outworked by promotional newcomer Zach Makovsky in a bout the 30-year-old took on short notice.
Where Jorgensen seemed to have the edge in the early goings, an uppercut from “Fun Size” stopped the former WEC title challenger in his tracks and seemed to tip the balance for the next two rounds.
With Makovsky taking the unanimous-decision victory, Jorgensen has now been defeated in back-to-back outings and has found himself in the loss column in four of his last five outings. Where the loss on Saturday night likely won’t cost him his job, it will reshuffle him to the back of the deck in a growing 125-pound collective.
*** While Pat Healy appeared to be on his way to making 2013 a year to remember, things have taken a drastic turn over his most recent outings. “Bam Bam” scored a huge win over former contender Jim Miller in his return to the UFC back in April only to have it overturned to a no-contest as the result of a failed post-fight drug test.
Healy has lost both of his bouts since and has gone from being on the verge of breaking through to the upper tier at 155 to heading to the back of the line after Saturday night.
*** It wasn’t all too long ago that Roger Bowling had a solid buzz surrounding him. The Ohio native was crumbling the opposition with his big power and appeared to be on the verge of bigger things. Unfortunately for Bowling, things have gone drastically downhill as of late.
After his one-sided drubbing at the hands of Abel Trujillo at UFC on Fox 9, the 31-year-old is now 0-3 with one no-contest in his last four outings—two of which came as the result of brutal knockouts. His current slump and a poor performance on Saturday night will make it difficult for Bowling to keep his roster spot with the UFC.
*** Every time I write this column, I stress there is no point complaining about judging in MMA, but that doesn’t stop me from writing about it.
Edson Barboza defeated Danny Castillo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28) in a bout that very well should have been a draw based on the opening round. The often-discussed and hardly ever used correctly 10-8 round was only scored by one judge in the opening frame in a round that certainly deserved that score.
Castillo dropped Barboza and had him in danger for the final few minutes of the round and nearly finished the Brazilian. The 27-year-old went on to win the last two rounds in 10-9 fashion which should have resulted in a draw.
The Strange
It typically takes a loss for a fighter to lose their place in a title hunt, but Mendes may have very well lost his spot at the front of the line in the featherweight race with his performance on Saturday night. In his lead up to UFC on Fox 9, “Money” had been obliterating the competition as he knocked out four consecutive opponents in brutal fashion.
He appeared to be well on his way to earning his fifth consecutive stoppage as he stunned Lentz in the opening frame, but the proverbial wheels started to come off as the fight went on.
A noticeably gassed Mendes struggled to strike with Lentz and reverted back to his early days of takedowns and top control. Where the Team Alpha Male staple has made a career out of pounding out the opposition from top position, he wasn’t active when he had Lentz on the mat.
While his fighting was still effective enough to get the victory, it will be difficult to clearly say Mendes is the top contender in a crowded featherweight upper tier. Resurgent veteran Cub Swanson has been steamrolling the competition as of late and has also won five consecutive bouts.
Fighter fashion is a thing that varies on an individual basis, but Cody McKenzie took a hard left into the failure department for his choice of apparel in his fight with Sam Stout.
Where we’ve seen fighters in the past shuck the heavily clad sponsor shorts in favor of the simple route, the TUF alum took things to a new level of strange by donning a pair of white athletic shorts—complete with pockets—for his tilt with “Hands of Stone.”
To make matters worse, in addition to a sharpie scrawled “907” insignia on his left leg, McKenzie also rocked a price tag in the opening round of the bout. It’s one thing to wear a goofy pair of shorts, but it’s another to forget to take the tag off said goofy pair of shorts when you are fighting on national television.
The Alaskan ultimately came out on the losing end of a unanimous decision in the fight which makes him unsuccessful in four his his last six outings.
Following the bout, Kevin Iole got an explanation of the shorts situation from California State Athletic Commission’s Andy Foster, and it appears McKenzie forget his fight shorts at the hotel and was forced to run across the street and buy a new pair.
All fashion jokes aside, McKenzie is certainly facing a difficult position in light of his loss to the Canadian veteran. He dabbled in featherweight waters for a stint, going 1-1 before returning to lightweight to face Stout at UFC on Fox 9. With both divisions becoming increasingly more competitive, roster spots are difficult to come by, and McKenzie could very well be holding on to his by a thread.
Another element of strange that needs to be noted is how many high-profile bouts the card at UFC on Fox 9 yet still produced an exciting slate of tilts. The event was originally scheduled to be headlined with a lightweight title bout between Anthony Pettis and Josh Thomson before “Showtime” was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury.
In addition to 155-pound title action, the card also lost what was potentially the most anticipated matchup on the bill when the guaranteed violence between Carlos Condit and Matt Brown was scratched due to “The Immortal” suffering herniated discs and being forced to step out of the fight.
Losing fights of that caliber certainly could have steam out of the event, but the bouts on the card certainly delivered the goods on Saturday night.
On a final note, where so much has been made of the “Bang Effect” and the impact Duane Ludwig has had on Team Alpha Male, the squad went 2-2 on the night.
Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes found victory—albeit in much different fashion—while Danny Castillo and Joseph Benavidez ended up in the loss column. With Benavidez failing to claim a UFC title and Mendes having a lackluster showing, it will still be a while before one of the best collectives in MMA shake their stigma.
Duane Finley is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
In a flash, the rematch was over. UFC flyweight champion, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson made sure Joseph Benavidez caught some Zs at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday night. A mammoth counter right hand left no doubt who the …
In a flash, the rematch was over. UFC flyweight champion, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson made sure Joseph Benavidez caught some Zs at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, Calif., on Saturday night. A mammoth counter right hand left no doubt who the king of the UFC flyweight division is.
The official word wasn’t released just yet, but it is safe to say the champion earned himself KO of the Night honors with this one.
The two had battled back in September 2012 at UFC 152. Johnson won that bout by a split decision to become the first-ever flyweight champion. This time, he didn’t want to wait five rounds for the result, so he finished it early.
Speed is always the key for Johnson, but on Saturday night, he mixed in a little bit of pop and gave fans what they may have been missing from the flyweight champion.
How impressive and unexpected was the early KO? Johnson hadn’t ever stopped an opponent in the first round in the UFC, and it was the first time he’d scored a KO win in three years. In addition to that, it was the first time Benavidez had ever been stopped in his career.
For the early portions of the round, Johnson was content to dash out of the way of Benavidez’s attempts to strike. The champion mixed in a few takedown attempts that the challenger thwarted. In retrospect, Benavidez will probably wish he had allowed himself to be taken down on one of those attempts.
His fate could have been a lot better—or at least the loss would have taken a bit longer to materialize.
Early on, it looked as if Johnson would be able to use his speed and impeccable technique to outwork Benavidez, but he ultimately decided to show us that there is indeed some mighty in that mouse.
Johnson has effectively cleaned out the top portion of the division by beating Benavidez twice, knocking off John Dodson and Ian McCall. Those three fighters are the highest-rated challengers listed at UFC.com.
It will be interesting to see who challenges Johnson next.
As for Benavidez, he has to be at a loss. Where does he go from here having had two shots at the champion and failed in both attempts? He’ll have to go to the end of the line as others rise and try their hand at catching one fast—and apparently strong mouse.
Demetrious Johnson disposed of another contender at UFC on Fox 9, knocking out Joseph Benavidez in an important flyweight rematch. With another tough challenger behind him, options are becoming limited for “Mighty Mouse” in his still-developing 125-pound division.
