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With a Win over the Champ Already, Is John Dodson’s Best Future at Bantamweight?

We haven’t heard the last of John Dodson.
That was the message from Dodson and his camp last weekend in the immediate wake of his unanimous-decision loss to flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson at UFC 191. The 30-year-old Albuquerque native know…

We haven’t heard the last of John Dodson.

That was the message from Dodson and his camp last weekend in the immediate wake of his unanimous-decision loss to flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson at UFC 191. The 30-year-old Albuquerque native known for his boundless energy and mammoth grin wasn’t about to hang his head.

“I’m going to make sure I can come back and come back stronger,” Dodson said at the post-fight press conference. “If [UFC president Dana White] gives me the opportunity to beat up a whole bunch of people who seem worthy to fight Demetrious, I will do it. I will make sure that I can make another title run.”

Dodson’s determination is admirable—especially since his second loss to Johnson left him in a most unenviable position for the top-ranked 125-pound contender.

Luckily, he’s still got options.

In fact, there’s a pretty good one sitting just 10 pounds north of him. It’s entirely possible Dodson could become a breakout star in the fast-rising bantamweight division if he decided he was ready to answer the call.

Remember, Dodson began his UFC career by winning the 16-fighter 135-pound tournament on Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter.

He did it in style, too—by way of three knockouts and one unanimous decision. His second-round KO of Johnny Bedford in the semifinals earned him the $25,000 award for “Knockout of the Season” on an installment of the show that also included featherweights.

In the finals, Dodson scored a first-round TKO—and scooped up $40,000 more with a KO of the Night bonus—while defeating 2-1 favorite T.J. Dillashaw.

There was every reason to believe he had a bright future ahead of him at bantamweight. Instead, immediately after hoisting the TUF 14 trophy, Dodson dropped to flyweight where he rattled off an impressive 5-2 record despite missing 11 months with a serious knee injury.

In fact, only one man has defeated Dodson during his eight fights in the Octagon. It’s just unfortunate for him that man is Johnson—the dominant, longstanding champion in his preferred weight class.

Their rematch last weekend was even less competitive than the first meeting between the two in January 2013. It didn’t appear to do land office business either. End result? Dodson, his No. 1 ranking and .750 overall UFC winning percentage are likely locked out of the 125-pound title picture for the foreseeable future.

If indeed he wants to “come back stronger [and] make another title run” the shortest path may well be at 135 pounds.

Fast forward nearly four years since Dodson beat him and Dillashaw is now the bantamweight champion. The Team Alpha Male product’s recent pair of wins over former champ Renan Barao earned him rave reviews for his improved striking game, and he’s currently ensconced at No. 5 on the UFC’s official pound-for-pound rankings.

If you don’t think that sticks in Dodson’s craw, you’re wrong.

“I’ve already destroyed [Dillashaw] and he’s talking about how he should be up on the pound-for-pound list,” Dodson said at a media lunch in Los Angeles before UFC 191 (h/t MMA Fighting.com’s Marc Raimondi). “I already beat him. I beat him at his specialty.”

On Wednesday, the UFC announced Dillashaw’s next title defense—a bout against past titlist Dominick Cruz on January 17. If it manages to hang together, that will undoubtedly be the biggest men’s 135-pound championship fight in recent memory. It’s also going down on free TV, which promises to grant the bantamweight title a bigger spotlight than ever before.

It’s not unthinkable that Dodson—if he so desired—could move up to 135 pounds, capture a win over a ranked opponent and be positioned nicely to meet the winner.

Bantamweight has garnered some new attention since Dillashaw won the title, but it remains a struggle to settle on top contenders there. This could certainly be viewed as an opportunity for a marketable and established fighter who has beaten almost everyone matchmakers have paired him with—including the current bantamweight champion.

It’s possible Dodson could make a compelling contender the moment he walked in the door. For all he would give up in size, it might be worth it in exchange for the sheer immediacy.

Consider bantamweight’s other options:

Barao is in rebuilding mode after his own pair of losses in championship fights. Cruz’s career has been snake-bit by injury for nearly as long as anyone can remember. Urijah Faber seems out of the running for the time being. Third-ranked Rafael Assuncao had his own health-related troubles this year.

Former flyweight knockout artist John Lineker recently arrived in the division and Bryan Caraway is in the midst of an unlikely 5-2 run, but neither is ready for a title shot. Aljamain Sterling is undefeated at 11-0, though has only fought once since July 2014.

All in all, the 135-pound class figures to remain slightly more appealing to consumers than its little brother at 125, but there’s still room at the top for some name brand appeal.

If Dodson could quickly re-establish himself as one of the division’s high-profile top guns, there may be no good reason not to do it—and fast.

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UFC 191 Highlights/Results: Mighty Mouse Dominates, Arlovski and Mir Underwhelm + More

(Johnson vs. Dodson highlights, via UFC on FOX.)

At this point, it seems that flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is forever destined to be one of the most dominant, yet simultaneously unbankable fighters in the history of the sport. Last Saturday was no exception, as the man they call “Mighty Mouse” turned in one of his best performances to date against rival John Dodson while headlining the lowest live gate for a UFC pay-per-view in 11 years. No respect, no respect, I tells ya.

Either the UFC has absolutely no idea how to market him, or casual fans are simply refusing to warm up to “little flyweights” (Ed note: My God, maybe Michael Bisping was right). Regardless, the UFC might want to start relegating Johnson to the FOX/FS1 cards, or at the very minimum, placing him in the co-main spot on a pay-per-views, because something just isn’t clicking with the UFC’s “f*cking idiot” fanbase.

Of course, Johnson wasn’t given much support in the form of a noteworthy undercard, which, save for a few noteworthy moments, didn’t really do much to entice those seated at the MGM Grand.

Highlights after the jump.

The post UFC 191 Highlights/Results: Mighty Mouse Dominates, Arlovski and Mir Underwhelm + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

(Johnson vs. Dodson highlights, via UFC on FOX.)

Of course, Johnson wasn’t given much support in the form of a noteworthy undercard, which, save for a few noteworthy moments, didn’t really do much to entice those seated at the MGM Grand.

Highlights after the jump.

Three round heavyweight fights, amiright Nation? Seeing one that entertains from the opening bell to the judges’ decision is kind of like seeing a double rainbow, on Mars, at night, and UFC 191′s co-main event was no exception. Both Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir were riding a pair of emphatic first round knockouts heading into their UFC 191 clash, leading both fans and pundits alike to all but slap a #1 contender label on the bout. As it turns out, that “first round” qualifier might have been the key to both men’s feelgood comeback stories.

To say the fight underwhelmed would be an understatement, so I’ll just leave it to the UFC studio analysts to explain. Arlovski did manage to come out with the decision win, however, improving his UFC win streak to four in a row.

While Arlovski vs. Mir might not have lived up to expectations, Anthony Johnson vs. Jimi Manuwa sure as hell did. “Rumble” started off strong early, landing some heavy leg kicks and surprisingly taking Manuwa down on a couple occasions, then flattened the Brit like he had been doing yoga in the weight room early in the second. Say what you want about Johnson, but he is possibly the hardest hitting fighter in the entire UFC and a goddamn nightmare matchup for anyone in the light heavyweight division.

Elsewhere on the main card, Paige VanZant once again proved that a limitless gas tank and endless aggression often lead to victory. VanZant was all over opponent Alex Chambers from the opening bell until the effortless armbar finish she secured in the third round. While her striking still has a way to go if she is ever to stand a chance against Joanna Champion, there’s no denying that VanZant is a prospect to watch in the strawweight division.

Of course, the UFC has neglected to upload any highlights from UFC 191′s most entertaining fight: Francisco Rivera vs. John Lineker, but I believe this gif best sums up how we all reacted to what was 2 minutes of absolute, unbridled insanity.

The full results for UFC 191 are below.

Main card
Demetrious Johnson def. John Dodson via unanimous decision
Andrei Arlovski def. Frank Mir via unanimous decision
Anthony Johnson def. Jimi Manuwa via second-round KO
Corey Anderson def. Jan Blachowicz by unanimous decision
Paige VanZant def. Alex Chambers via submission (armbar)

Undercard
Ross Pearson def. Paul Felder via split decision
John Lineker def. Francisco Rivera via submission (guillotine)
Raquel Pennington def. Jessica Andrade via submission (rear-naked choke)
Tiago Trator def. Clay Collard via split decision
Joe Riggs def. Ron Stallings via DQ (illegal upkick)
Joaquim Silva def. Nazareno Malegarie via split decision

The post UFC 191 Highlights/Results: Mighty Mouse Dominates, Arlovski and Mir Underwhelm + More appeared first on Cagepotato.

UFC 191 Results: Winners and Scorecards from Johnson vs. Dodson 2 Fight Card

Ever wonder what Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be like without the bravado? The answer is: Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
On Saturday night in the main event at UFC 191, Johnson successfully defended his UFC flyweight championship in a rematch w…

Ever wonder what Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be like without the bravado? The answer is: Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.

On Saturday night in the main event at UFC 191, Johnson successfully defended his UFC flyweight championship in a rematch with No. 1 contender John Dodson. Johnson nullified Dodson’s offense and wore him down for five masterfully fought rounds. MMA Fighting was equally complimentary of Johnson’s performance:

Their first fight was close, but Johnson left no doubt on Saturday as he nearly pitched a shutout on the card. The judges scored the fight 50-45, 49-46, 49-46.

The UFC congratulated their champion immediately after the fight:

Like Mayweather’s in-ring performances, only purists of the sport can appreciate the work Johnson does in the Octagon. Mayweather’s personality helps to bring in the casual fan while Johnson’s more conservative and likable demeanor frankly makes him less compelling to the masses.

When Saturday night’s fight was over, Dodson probably wished he had a chance to fight Mayweather, someone in the crowd, or anyone besides Johnson. With footwork that was like a video tutorial for navigation in the Octagon, Johnson put himself in position to tee off on Dodson with a sneaky right-hand lead that scored all night.

Dodson did a great job defending the takedown most of the fight, but Johnson’s multi-faceted approach kept the challenger on his heels throughout. Johnson landed four of his 16 takedown attempts, but he out landed Dodson 94-70 in significant strikes. The win was Johnson’s ninth-straight victory and it should solidify him as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.

MMA Infographics shows Johnson has drawn even with UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo for most consecutive title defenses in UFC history:

In leading up to the fight, Dodson had taken several verbal jabs at Johnson. The insults appeared to get under the skin of the straight-hooting champion. He definitely took out his frustrations on the left side of Dodson’s face.

The champion couldn’t resist feeding Dodson some of his words, and using some of his own colorful language to toot his own horn:

I can’t say the rest of the card was filled with the high-level MMA we saw in the main event, but it was certainly interesting. Here’s a look at the results of each fight and Twitter reaction.

Fight Pass Prelims
Matchup	Weight Class	Result
Joaquim Silva vs. Nazareno Malegarie	Lightweight	Silva by split decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29)
Joe Riggs vs. Ron Stallings	Middleweight	Riggs by DQ (Illegal upkick)
Fox Sports 1 Prelims
Matchup	Weight Class	Result
Clay Collard vs. Tiago Trator	Featherweight	Trator by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
No. 13 Jessica Andrade vs. Raquel Pennington	Women’s Bantamweight	Pennington by submission (rear-naked choke, third round)
No. 12 Francisco Rivera vs. No. 8 John Lineker	Bantamweight	Lineker by submission (guillotine, first round)
Ross Pearson vs. Paul Felder	Lightweight	Pearson by split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
Main Card on PPV
Matchup	Weight Class	Result
No. 7 Paige VanZant vs. Alex Chambers	Women’s Strawweight	VanZant by submission (arm bar, third round)
No. 12 Jan Blachowicz vs. Corey Anderson	Light Heavyweight	Anderson by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 29-26)
No. 1 Anthony Johnson vs. No. 7 Jimi Manuwa	Light Heavyweight	Johnson by KO (second round)
No. 4 Andrei Arlovski vs. No. 10 Frank Mir	Heavyweight	Arlovski by unanimous decision (30-27. 30-27, 29-28)
(c) Demetrious Johnson vs. No. 1 John Dodson	UFC Flyweight Championship	Johnson by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
Results per PPV broadcast

Fighting Words

Warning: The War is Coming

MMAFighting.com and others knew a truly violent display was on tap as John Lineker and Francisco Rivera marched toward the Octagon. Midway through the first round, these two guys had abandoned their technique and simply started firing bombs.

When the smoke cleared, Lineker had the stiffest chin and hardest punches. He dropped Rivera once and finished him moments later with a guillotine. Rivera got in some solid shots, but Lineker proved his chin was up to the task. Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter had high praise for the bout:

Lineker’s endurance was all the more impressive because it was his first fight at 135 pounds. The bantamweight division has a new player.

Go Rocky, It’s Your Birthday

On her 27th birthday, Raquel Pennington scored a thrilling third-round submission in the waning seconds of the final round against Jessica Andrade. UFC’s Dave Sholler gave Pennington the birthday congratulations.

To make the win all the more impressive, it was revenge for a tough split-decision loss she suffered to Andrade in March 2014. Per the Fox Sports 1 broadcast, Pennington is on a revenge tour as she looks to avenge all of the losses she’s experienced in the UFC.

Fox Sports’ Damon Martin doesn’t sound sure that Pennington can accomplish that goal, but gives her credit for her work ethic and fighting spirit:

The Building of a Star

Operation: Make Paige VanZant a Star is in full effect. The dynamic, spirited and attractive women’s strawweight fighter is getting every opportunity to become a household name in the MMA community. That’s not to say she totally undeserving of the attention.

By all accounts, VanZant works very hard. That said, many could argue that she hasn’t accomplished enough to be on the main card over the Pennington-Andrade bout, or Paul Felder vs. Ross Pearson.

That said, her aggression and fighting spirit are unquestionably entertaining. Per MMA Fighting, VanZant talked about reverting to her brawling style:

Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting sees the potential in VanZant:

Rumble Young Man, Rumble

No one should have been surprised to see Anthony “Rumble” Johnson knock out Jimi Manuwa. The latter doesn’t possess the submission game to take advantage of Johnson’s deficiencies on the ground.

Still, no matter how many times you see Johnson flatten guys, it’s still impressive. Martin believes there’s no one in the sport who hits harder:

Per Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting, Johnson paid respect to his supporters and spit ether at his haters:

Johnson rebounded well from his lopsided loss to Daniel Cormier in his last fight. Rumble isn’t ready for a another shot at the championship just yet, but he’s on the right track after blowing through Manuwa.

Frank Mir vs. Andrei Arlovski Didn’t Live Up to Expectations

Sorry, I didn’t have a catchy sub-headline for this one. The fight was just too boring to deserve an overly creative description. Botter shared my sentiments, but he did offer a funny analogy:

Mir wasn’t in the same shape we’re accustomed to seeing and Arlovski gave the two-time heavyweight champion so much respect, he couldn’t—or wasn’t willing—to take any chances.

Arlovski got the slightly controversial unanimous-decision victory, but in the end there were no real winners.

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UFC 191 Results: What We Learned from Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson

Demetrious Johnson defended his UFC Flyweight Championship against John Dodson at UFC 191 in another technical masterpiece.
Mighty Mouse was never in any danger in this fight and showed he is the best flyweight on Earth. Dodson was never a factor in th…

Demetrious Johnson defended his UFC Flyweight Championship against John Dodson at UFC 191 in another technical masterpiece.

Mighty Mouse was never in any danger in this fight and showed he is the best flyweight on Earth. Dodson was never a factor in this fight. The only thing he got to showcase was his defensive wrestling. Other than that, he was just a warm body in front of Johnson.

It was another stellar performance from Johnson, who won via unanimous decision, but it’s a shame it wasn’t competitive. This is what we learned after another five rounds of technical greatness.

And still…

What We’ll Remember About the Fight

I hate to say this after another masterful performance by the flyweight champion, but nothing was memorable in this fight. That’s just the fact of the matter.

We will ultimately forget these two performances. We will only remember that Johnson won.

What We Learned About Dodson

Dodson was competitive in the first fight in January 2013 and almost walked away with the gold. We learned Saturday night that his time as a threat to Johnson has passed. Johnson has evolved past Dodson. There was nothing Dodson did to even remotely threaten the champ.

It was a classic performance that said, “I just do not want to be finished.”

Dodson is a great fighter, but he is not on Johnson’s level.

What We Learned About Johnson

I’m not positive that we learned it for the first time at UFC 191, but the showing confirmed Johnson is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.

Nearly everything he does is just picture-perfect. From a technical point of view, it’s fascinating to watch. Mighty Mouse is a case study of what high-level mixed martial arts looks like.

What’s Next for Dodson

After this domination, he will need several fights before challenging again. He needs to reset. The winner of September’s Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Chico Camus fight makes a lot of sense.

After losing to the champ in April, Horiguchi is in the same position as Dodson, and if Camus upsets Horiguchi, Camus will need a stiffer test, which Dodson represents. Either matchup makes sense for all fighters involved for where they stand in the division.

What’s Next for Johnson

It won’t be Henry Cejudo yet, but that’s the next fight for Johnson with legitimate intrigue.

The other contenders—Joseph Benavidez, Jussier Formiga and Ian McCall—are not interesting at this point. Johnson is simply better than them all and has proved it. Cejudo’s Olympic-caliber wrestling and big power make him a compelling test for Johnson. Until that fight happens, there isn’t a flyweight title tilt that piques our interest.

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Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson 2: Keys to Victory for Each at UFC 191

Size discrimination may prevent some MMA fans from appreciating the UFC 191 main event rematch between flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and John “The Magician” Dodson. However, hardcore fans know they are in for elite-level MMA from…

Johnson took a unanimous-decision victory over Dodson when the two first met back in March 2013. Since then, he has gone on to establish himself as arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Dodson has won three fights in a row, and he recently returned to action after suffering a torn ACL in July 2014.

Both men weighed in successfully Friday, with Johnson checking in at 124.5 and Dodson at 125. Here’s a look at the weigh-in and a quick interview with both men, via Fox Sports UFC on Twitter:

All nine of MMA Junkie’s staff of experts believe Johnson will retain his title. What does he need to do to notch another victory? What does Dodson need to do to change the outcome? Read on to find out.

Dodson’s Keys to Victory

Stay off the Ground

Dodson’s best chance to win is in the stand-up game. If the fight goes to the ground, he’ll be at a clear disadvantage. Johnson’s transitions on the mat are the best in the division and among the elite in the sport.

Dodson’s game is to land with his quick and explosive strikes. To play to this strength, he must control distance and stay out of the champion’s grasp.

Land Big Shots Early

In their first fight, Dodson knocked Johnson down and landed a few other big shots that got the champion’s attention. He needs to again create that doubt in the champion’s mind by landing another big strike early in the fight.

If Dodson can connect, he could gain a psychological advantage in the fight—if he doesn’t finish with another opportunity to put Johnson away.

Conserve Energy

Dodson seemed to gas a bit in the first fight. He’s a naturally hyper guy who expends tons of energy. He usually looks great in three-rounders, but he’s lost both of the five-round fights in his career.

Aside from dropping the decision to Johnson in 2013, Dodson also lost a split decision to Pat Runez in 2009. Johnson doesn’t have any issues with stamina, and he’s proved he can perform in championship matches.

The champion is 6-1 in his fights that have either gone into the fifth round or lasted the distance. If Dodson can’t get Johnson out early, his chances of winning dramatically decrease. To try and combat this, he has to leave something in the tank for the championship rounds.

Johnson’s Keys to Victory

Counter KO Swings with Takedowns

Dodson will be looking for the home run because of the aforementioned dynamics. Johnson must be ready to slip—which is something he does as well as any fighter—and then change levels to shoot for the takedown.

The champion will have to pick his spots. Dodson’s takedown defense is at 88 percent, per FightMetric. Catching him immediately after the strike misses its mark would be ideal. If Johnson can get Dodson to the ground, he may remain there for the rest of the round—or until the champion submits him.

Dodson is a relatively small threat on the ground. He has just two submission wins in his career, and both came against the same guy, Zac White, in 2004 and 2007.

Be Patient

There’s no need for Johnson to rush. When it comes to winning rounds, he appears to understand that concept a little better than Dodson does. Fast and steady wins the race for Johnson. That means that while speed will always be a major component of his success, he doesn’t need to rush to a result.

If he takes his time, the win will come because he’s the more well-rounded fighter.

Fighter record references per Sherdog.

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UFC 191 Fight Card: Odds, Projected Winner for Johnson vs. Dodson 2, Top Fights

John “The Magician” Dodson pushed Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson to the brink when the two men met in March 2013, but he couldn’t finish off the UFC flyweight champion when he had him hurt. In turn, Johnson was able to grind out a unanimous-decision…

On Saturday in the main event of UFC 191, Johnson and Dodson will renew acquaintances. The action might look a little different, but Johnson will again prevail. When it comes to pure speed, Dodson is the only man in the UFC who can match Johnson. That’s why this fight can go either way while on the feet.

That’s also why Johnson will likely look to take it to the ground as soon as possible. Mighty Mouse is a far superior wrestler, and he could have his way there late in the fight. As physically talented as Johnson is, his most underrated skill is his fight IQ.

That’s how he’ll beat Dodson in the rematch. He’ll mix in a few striking attempts only to set up the takedowns. He’ll use this strategy to wear down and discourage his opponent. Late in the fight, Johnson will take advantage of a fatigued challenger and win the bout via submission in the fourth round.

Here’s a look at the full card, predictions and odds.

Rumble Will Flatten Manuwa

If Jimi Manuwa stays true to his normal approach in the Octagon, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is going to knock him out. Based on Manuwa‘s recent comments, there’s no reason to think he’ll do anything more than attempt to stand and strike with Johnson.

Per Elias Cepeda of FoxSports.com, the man they call the “Poster Boy” said:

No one is going to bully me in the cage. I will not be bullied. I will not step back—it is not who I am. We are going to be two trains meeting in the middle of the cage. Let’s see who gets pushed back. I’m not the one who is going to take a step backward.

There may not be a light heavyweight in the world who can stand right in front of Johnson and beat him. Jon Jones is daring and good enough to try, but I’d even doubt Bones’ chances to win that style of fight against Johnson. Rumble has five losses in his career and four of them have come by rear-naked choke.

Only accomplished wrestlers like Daniel Cormier and Josh Koscheck have been able to put Johnson on the mat and in position to choke him out.

Manuwa has yet to display the wrestling skills he’ll need to take Johnson down, so we have to believe his come-forward, stand-your-ground approach is sincere.

It won’t be a successful strategy, as Johnson will likely knock him out in the first round.

Mir Will Continue to Roll

Both Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski come into their co-main event scrap on a roll. Mir has won two fights in a row and Arlovski has been victorious in his last three bouts in the UFC.

Mir will be the only one on an unbeaten streak when this fight is over. Stylistically, this isn’t a good fight for Arlovski. Mir’s striking is improved, and he’s sturdy. He’s more apt to be able to take a shot from Arlovski and recover.

Ideally, Mir would love to take the fight to the mat. He’s arguably the best heavyweight submission fighter in the history of the UFC. I predict he’ll take Arlovski down in the second round and force him to tap from an arm bar, kimura or Americana.

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