Just like December’s UFC on FOX: Henderson vs. Diaz card, it’s a pay-per-view caliber lineup that we’ll be getting for free. Early predictions: Johnson/Dodson goes to decision, Cerrone/Pettis wins Fight of the Night, and Rampage blames his impending loss on an injury. Fine, call me a hater — but see if I’m wrong.
Ian McCall isn’t looking to make friends in the flyweight division.The former Tachi champ took aim at Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson over the weekend at an event in Culver City, California.Johnson is slated to defend his UFC flyweight title for the…
Ian McCall isn’t looking to make friends in the flyweight division.
The former Tachi champ took aim at Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson over the weekend at an event in Culver City, California.
Johnson is slated to defend his UFC flyweight title for the very first time against Dodson at a yet to be determined date. Unfortunately, the bout isn’t really turning any heads in the MMA community.
While the flyweight division is one of the most exciting weight classes in the sport, it has also become the most ridiculed.
“It kind of sucks because no one likes our weight class right now,” said McCall.
“No one likes Demetrious. I guess he doesn’t translate well publicly. I don’t really know why. No one likes John Dodson because he’s kind of annoying. He’s cooler in person. He just acts like a 12-year-old annoying girl sometimes on TV. I don’t know why he does that or why he thinks it’s the thing to do.”
A small part of McCall must still believe he should be flyweight champion.
He fought Johnson earlier this year at UFC on FX 2 in a bout that ended in a draw. The controversial ending led to an immediate rematch at UFC on FX 3, where Johnson was awarded a unanimous decision.
While he respects Johnson’s skills, McCall doesn’t feel like he put on his best performance that night.
He feels like he didn’t take Johnson serious enough, which is odd considering it was the biggest fight in his professional career.
“Speed is a big thing. With me, the second time I came in too heavy. I cut 18.8-pounds in the last 20 hours, and then we weighed in at like three or four o’clock, and by 10 o’clock, I was 150.5,” said McCall.
“It was my own fault. I didn’t diet right. I just think I didn’t take it seriously enough, which for some reason I don’t know why. I finally get to the UFC, and I don’t take it seriously. I don’t know. I would just go back to how I fought him the first time. I was thinking too much, I didn’t fight like I should have.”
Going into UFC 152—and more specifically, the flyweight title fight between Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson—there was plenty of discussion about the finishing ability of flyweights and the lower weight classes general.The general fe…
Going into UFC 152—and more specifically, the flyweight title fight between Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson—there was plenty of discussion about the finishing ability of flyweights and the lower weight classes general.
The general feeling among MMA fans and select portions of the MMA media is that guys residing in those lower weight classes don’t finish fights nearly as often as their counterparts in the heavier divisions. Part of that is probably due to the fact that heavyweight fights are a visceral experience; they’re huge dudes, they’re hitting each other in the face really hard and you can see immediate results.
But is there any truth to the idea that the guys under 170 pounds don’t finish fights? My buddy Spencer Kyte did a bit of research and wrote an excellent blog post on his Keyboard Kimurablog deconstructing the myth:
When you remove heavyweights and flyweights from the calculations – the former because they “always” finish and the latter because they “never” finish – the difference between the finishing rates of the “heavier weight classes” (LHW to WW) and the “lighter weight classes” (LW to BW) is one percent:
LHW to WW: 49 finishes from 96 total fights = 51% LW to BW: 55 finishes from 110 total fights = 50%
That means if there had been one less finish this year in the light heavyweight, middleweight, and welterweight divisions, the “heavier weight classes” would have an identical finishing percentage as the “lighter weight classes” who allegedly never finish fights.
Ready to re-think your stance on the lighter weight classes yet?
The UFC flyweight finishing rate is just 28.6 percent, which seems to validate those who believe the little guys don’t finish fights. But as Spencer points out, you have to keep in mind that there have been just seven flyweight fights in the UFC thus far. If one more of those fights had ended in a finish, the percentage would have jumped up to 42.8 percent, a number more in line with the rest of the weight classes.
Here are the finishing percentages in each weight class, again from Spencer’s blog post:
Average Finishing Percentage: 52.7% (126 finishes from 239 fights)
On first glance, it’s pretty easy to assume that flyweights can’t finish a fight the way the bigger fighters do. They’re smaller—much smaller, in fact—and so they don’t hit with the same kind of power that heavyweights do. That’s obvious. But you have to keep in mind that these flyweights are also fighting other flyweights, which means they’re punching guys who are exactly the same size as they are, which means they’re just as susceptible to being knocked out as any light heavyweight or heavyweight.
As Spencer pointed out, we just don’t have enough of a sample size to determine if these guys finish fights at a lower rate than guys in higher weight classes. The UFC’s flyweight division is still in its infancy, and fights in the weight class are few and far between at this point. We’ll need to wait at least two more years before the data gets enough volume to actually become usable.
But what about the rest of the lower weight classes? For the purposes of this article, we’ll consider 155 pounds and below as the definition of “lighter weight classes,” since that’s the way things are considered most of the time.
I’ll defer to Spencer for one final statistic:
Through UFC 152, fighters competing at 155-pounds and lower have finished 48.7% of their fights, less than 10 percent fewer than their heavier counterparts. If you eliminate the upper and lower limits, the only real difference is in terms of perception.
I think the last portion of the final sentence says it all. It’s all about perception. Fans see these little guys and automatically assume that they don’t have the power to knock someone out. They assume they’re going to see a pretty exciting fight, but they aren’t expecting a highlight-reel knockout.
We’ve been conditioned, by the UFC and by society in general, to expect large levels of violence from big athletes. Fights at heavyweight are often billed as monstrous collisions between gigantic, hard-hitting punchers who can end a fight at any moment. And that’s true, because they can. But the next time you see a bantamweight or flyweight fight billed the same way will be the first time.
But as the statistics show, there’s just a 10 percent difference between the lower weight classes and the bigger guys. That’s not a big difference. Not at all. It proves that the only difference in the way the smaller guys and the bigger guys finish fights is in the way we view them.
And it may take some time, but there will come a day when flyweights and bantamweights aren’t considered to be guys who “can’t finish fights.”
They’ll just be fighters, and they’ll be afforded the same respect that hulking heavyweights and light heavyweights get.
(Matt Hamill plays airplane with his freakishly large, Progeria-ridden child after defeating Roger Hollett earlier in the evening.)
It may be a futile effort to draft up these Armchair Matchmakers given the chaos that injuries are creating at every turn these days, but God damn it, a comedic MMA website has to have its principles! So with that in mind, we decided to scour through the wreckage left behind by UFC 152 and provide some potential opponents for the UFC to consider when booking the night’s biggest winners down the line. Join us and voice your opinions in the comments section, won’t you?
Jon Jones: Despite his best trolling efforts, it appears as if the UFC will actually show some common sense and wait to see if Chael Sonnen can at least defeat one “contender” at 205 (you know, the one he’s supposed to face) before expediting him right to a title shot because the fans apparently control the matchups all of a sudden. We were all for Sonnen/Jones on 8 days notice, but it’s clear that Jones only has two opponents truly worthy of getting ground into dog meat by him next. The first is Dan Henderson, who Jones blamed for the whole UFC 151 fiasco in the first place. He’s clearly next in line in a division that is suddenly absent of marketable contenders (sorry, Alex) and will hopefully be back to his normal H-bombing self before osteoporosis sets in and we have to go through this all over again. The second option…well, let’s just say that he would give Jones an offer that he could neither refuse nor defend. Specifically, “Five of these across the sneeze.”
(Matt Hamill plays airplane with his freakishly large, Progeria-ridden child after defeating Roger Hollett earlier in the evening.)
It may be a futile effort to draft up these Armchair Matchmakers given the chaos that injuries are creating at every turn these days, but God damn it, a comedic MMA website has to have its principles! So with that in mind, we decided to scour through the wreckage left behind by UFC 152 and provide some potential opponents for the UFC to consider when booking the night’s biggest winners down the line. Join us and voice your opinions in the comments section, won’t you?
Jon Jones: Despite his best trolling efforts, it appears as if the UFC will actually show some common sense and wait to see if Chael Sonnen can at least defeat one “contender” at 205 (you know, the one he’s supposed to face) before expediting him right to a title shot because the fans apparently control the matchups all of a sudden. We were all for Sonnen/Jones on 8 days notice, but it’s clear that Jones only has two opponents truly worthy of getting ground into dog meat by him next. The first is Dan Henderson, who Jones blamed for the whole UFC 151 fiasco in the first place. He’s clearly next in line in a division that is suddenly absent of marketable contenders (sorry, Alex) and will hopefully be back to his normal H-bombing self before osteoporosis sets in and we have to go through this all over again. The second option…well, let’s just say that he would give Jones an offer that he could neither refuse nor defend. Specifically, “Five of these across the sneeze.”
Demetrious Johnson: Dana White announced at the UFC 152 post-fight press conference that the winner of John “Clown Baby” Dodson vs. Jussier “Formiga” da Silva will more than likely be next in line for a flyweight title shot, a match that Johnson stated he will be watching with vested interest as well. So that’s that.
Michael Bisping: We know, we know; we previously stated that if Bisping wanted to get slaughtered by Anderson Silva next then we should let him do it and in fact cheer him on. But let’s be real here, Taters, Anderson doesn’t reallygive two shits about the middleweight division right meow, and IFhe gets past Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153, he will spend the remainder of his time shooting movies and waiting for the GSP superfight that may never come. And besides those facts, does anyone honestly think Bisping has earned a shot at Silva? He’s currently on a 1-0 (decision) win streak and just beat his first top 10 opponent in…ever. We say give him the winner of Chris Weidman vs. Tim Boetsch while Anderson is off doing his thing.
Matt Hamill: Even though he turned in a pretty poor performance against Roger Hollett last Saturday, one of you were quick to point out that “The Hammer” set the UFC record for significant strikes landed in a LHW fight with 124. That’s great and all, but the fact that 90% of those strikes were landed to the head of a downed and fetal Hollett without at least TKO’ing him doesn’t exactly speak volumes of Hamill’s power. Granted, it was Hamill’s first fight in over a year, so maybe we shouldn’t be so harsh on him. The fact still remains, however, that the TUF 3 alum still has a lot of kinks to work out, and we think the perfect matchup for him would be none other than former CP blogger Ryan Jimmo, who is coming off a 7-second destruction of Anthony Perosh in his UFC debut and has a wide open dance card. A win for either man would be a big step in the right direction.
Cub Swanson: Tweaked knee or no tweaked knee, Charles Oliveira got straight up embarrassed by Swanson last weekend, and it’s time to give Cub the step up in competition he has feared since Jose Aldo stole his eyebrow and took it home to Brazil. Working with Greg Jackson has improved his game in leaps and bounds, so why not match him up against a former “title contender” in Eric Koch? Injuries have kept Koch out of action for over a year now and he could use a win over a streaking fighter like Swanson to prove that he was title-worthy in the first place. Again, it’s a good fit for all involved and screams fireworks, so start Twitter-bombing DW with requests and make it happen!
Vinny Magalhaes: The TUF 8 finalist looked great in his grand return to Zuffa, taking advantage of a huge mental error by Igor Pokrajac (apparently he has a lot of those) to secure a brilliant armbar finish. He’s been seeking UFC redemption ever since he was released by the promotion, so a fight with Ryan Bader a.k.a the man who dashed his TUF dreams seems like a pretty smart move. Bader was just knocked out of contendership by Lyoto Machida at UFC on FOX 4 and will be looking for some redemption of his own. However, if you’re not a big fan of rematches, pairing Magalhaes against James Te Huna would be a great litmus test for both men. Te Huna needs to prove that he can hang with the best on the ground if he is ever to be considered a legit contender and Vinny could use another win over a solid standup fighter to erase the memories of the “tuck-n-roll” loss that dominates Bader’s highlight reel.
T.J. Grant: It might surprise you to learn that Grant has been fighting int he UFC for over three years now, but has gone overlooked by almost every fight fan for his somewhat lackluster fighting style and lack of finishes. Even though he did not finish Evan Dunham in their FOTN-earning war on Saturday, it’s safe to say that Grant is finally a name that UFC fans can get excited about. Now 3-0 at 155 lbs., Grant’s striking, cardio, and chin looked phenomenal against Dunham, and he should look to keep the momentum rolling against another exciting lightweight. The first name that comes to mind is Jamie Varner, who followed a gigantic win over Edson Barboza with a hard fought third round triangle loss to Joe Lauzon, also at UFC on FOX 4. A former WEC champion, Varner is just the kind of name that Grant could build his name off. On the other side of the coin, a win over a fellow vet like Grant could give Varner’s confidence an additional boost while keeping him relevant in his new home.
Marcus Brimage: He’s knocked two hype trains off the rails in as many matches; let’s see him try and do it again. Although Dustin Poirier‘s train suffered a significant setback in his loss to Chan Sung Jung at UFC on FUEL 3, he is still easily top 5 material. If Brimage can manage to upset Poirier, or even give an impressive showing against him, there will be no denying his future in the division.
Any matchups you think we missed? Let us know in the comments section.
Dana White is fed up with people bad-mouthing the flyweights.The UFC President was noticeably upset at the post-fight press conference for UFC 152, after sifting through tons of negative tweets regarding the flyweight title fight between Demetrious Joh…
Dana White is fed up with people bad-mouthing the flyweights.
The UFC President was noticeably upset at the post-fight press conference for UFC 152, after sifting through tons of negative tweets regarding the flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez.
In one of the most competitive and entertaining title bouts of the year, Johnson defeated Benavidez by split decision to become the first ever UFC flyweight champion.
Unfortunately, most casual fans have yet to accept the 125-pound weight class. They consider the division almost freakish in a way due to the small stature of the competitors. Along with size, some are turned away due to fewer finishes than in the heavier divisions.
After reading Twitter, White had plenty to say to fans who felt like Johnson vs. Benavidez wasn’t a good fight.
“I was reading Twitter tonight, and these people were ripping on the flyweights. Let me tell you what, if you didn’t like that flyweight fight, please, I’m begging you, don’t ever buy another UFC pay-per-view again,” White said at the post-fight presser.
While the heavier fighters tend to rack up more finishes, the lighter fighters typically deliver faster and more sustained action throughout an entire fight.
As with all things, people tend to dislike what they don’t understand.
A few years ago, fans used to boo every time a grappler took the fight to the ground. Now that people have gained a better understanding of the sport, it’s common to hear fans cheer takedowns and ground transitions.
Johnson and Benavidez are both world class fighters, but like the rest of the flyweight division, they are still relatively unknown to casual fans. Even though the title bout held historical significance, there wasn’t much invested interest from the fans.
As time passes and the division grows, people will likely warm up to the flyweight division, but true fans of fighting will always love the sport, regardless of the size of the athletes.
White continues:
“Don’t ever buy another one. I don’t want your money. You’re a moron. You don’t like fighting, and you don’t appreciate great talent or heart, if you didn’t like that flyweight fight.
[Joseph Benavidez] fought his ass off tonight. Look at his face, going after a guy who is incredibly talented and picking him apart and moving and everything else. The kid never gave up. He went five strong rounds, and when I get on Twitter and I see that stuff, I get crazy man. It’s just like, please, those of you who said that, I don’t want your money.”
At UFC 152’s co-main event, Joseph Benavidez found himself a step behind Demetrious Johnson, losing the first ever UFC flyweight title bout by split decision. While Benavidez is finally in the right weight class, he will have to climb back to…
At UFC 152’s co-main event, Joseph Benavidez found himself a step behind Demetrious Johnson, losing the first ever UFC flyweight title bout by split decision.
While Benavidez is finally in the right weight class, he will have to climb back to the top if he wants to get another shot against Johnson.
Benavidez will be up to the challenge though as he wants nothing more than to be a UFC champion.
Here’s a look at some fights he could take to get back at the top.
Going into UFC 152—and more specifically, the flyweight title fight between 
