Tag: John Dodson

John Dodson: ‘I Am the Savior of the Flyweight Division’

The UFC has struggled to make fight fans care about the flyweight division, but John Dodson believes he’s the solution to that problem.
While the 125-pound fold is lined with talented fighters and currently features one of the pound-for-pound best in t…

The UFC has struggled to make fight fans care about the flyweight division, but John Dodson believes he’s the solution to that problem.

While the 125-pound fold is lined with talented fighters and currently features one of the pound-for-pound best in the sport in Demetrious Johnson as champion, fan interest in the weight class has yet to take hold.

This especially rings true where “Mighty Mouse” is concerned, as the first and only UFC flyweight champion has continually failed in his efforts to connect with the promotion’s passionate fanbase. It’s unclear whether the cause of this stigma is due to a lack of push from the UFC or fans refusing to invest in the lighter weight classes, but the situation is certainly real.

Again, Dodson feels he’s the solution to the problem.

The heavy-handed former title challenger is confident he will be the fighter who shifts how fans see the flyweight division and feels he’s the only one who has the power to do it.

“The Magician” recently spoke out on the subject during an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour (h/t Alex Schlinsky of MMA Mania), and the Albuquerque, New Mexico, native pulled no punches:

We always thought it was going to be Ian McCall, but Ian McCall hasn’t been able to perform the way that he wants to. So I guess I can step up and say that I am the savior of the flyweight division. If everybody wants to have a last hope for [the division], it’d be me…

I notice when you guys bring me up to Demetrious Johnson or to T.J. Dillashaw, both of them get super butthurt about the fact that you guys ask them about fighting me. Demetrious had his toughest fight against me and he knows that he’ll have one again, another tough fight with me. I potentially could steal that title from him. And T.J. Dillashaw goes around telling everyone that when I fought him, it was a fluke, and that it never would happen again. I just keep on looking ahead, man. I’m going to be champion…

I wouldn’t want to sit there saying, “What if I wasn’t champion?” I just know that I’m going to be the champion, and that’s a fact I’m going to stay with. I’m going to go out there and bang it out with them dudes, and when I walk away with the championship, I’m going to let them know that we both knew this was going to happen.

While Dodson has battled injuries that have kept him on the sidelines for a good portion of the past two years, MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti indicates he’s been adamant about getting another another shot at Johnson’s flyweight crown.

The two fighters initially collided at UFC on Fox 6 back in January of 2013, with the Parkland, Washington, native earning victory on the judges’ scorecards.

With that said, Dodson had control of the fight in the early going, as he put the champion on the deck twice with his signature power shots.

Nevertheless, if Dodson wants to get back into title contention in quick fashion, he will have to first answer the challenge standing directly in his path back to the top.

The 30-year-old knockout artist is scheduled to square off with former Bellator champion turned UFC contender Zach Makovsky at UFC 187 on May 23 in Las Vegas. “Fun Size” has won three of his four showings inside the Octagon, with his most recent victory coming at the expense of Tim Elliott at Fight Night 60 back in February.

Both Dodson and Makovsky are within striking distance of a title opportunity, and the winner of their tilt could very well earn the next shot at the flyweight strap.

Dodson believes he’s the future of his weight class, and a victory over Makovsky at UFC 187 would bring him one step closer to backing up such a bold claim.

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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Demetrious Johnson: 4 Potential Fights for Him After His UFC 186 Win

Demetrious Johnson improved his streak of title defenses to six with his win over Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC 186. He stopped his Japanese foe at 4:59 of Round 5 with an armbar.
Johnson has clearly solidified himself as one of the best competitors in mixed …

Demetrious Johnson improved his streak of title defenses to six with his win over Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC 186. He stopped his Japanese foe at 4:59 of Round 5 with an armbar.

Johnson has clearly solidified himself as one of the best competitors in mixed martial arts and the emperor of the flyweight division. After this recent win, these fight suggestions would give him some interesting matchups for the future.

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Top 10 Flyweights John Dodson and Zach Makovsky Meet at UFC 187

Former flyweight title challenger John “The Magician” Dodson will return from a nearly one-year layoff to take on up-and-comer Zach Makovsky at UFC 187. 
Sherdog.com first reported the news on Dodson, who has been sidelined following a July s…

Former flyweight title challenger John “The Magician” Dodson will return from a nearly one-year layoff to take on up-and-comer Zach Makovsky at UFC 187. 

Sherdog.com first reported the news on Dodson, who has been sidelined following a July surgery to repair a torn MCL and ACL. The 30-year-old last competed at UFC Fight Night 42 in June, notching a second-round TKO over fellow flyweight contender John Moraga. “Fun Size” most recently dominated Tim Elliott en route to a unanimous decision victory at UFC Fight Night 60. 

The Magician was a winner of The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 and is 5-1 in his Octagon career. His only loss came at the hands of longtime flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. 

Dodson pushed “Mighty Mouse” for 25 minutes and proved to be one of his toughest foes to date. Since his title hopes came up short, the Jackson’s MMA fighter reeled off two straight knockout victories against Darrell Montague and Moraga. 

The former Bellator bantamweight titleholder, Makovsky, made a successful Octagon debut in December 2013 against veteran Scott Jorgensen. The 31-year-old boasts a 3-1 record in the UFC and is one of the most dominant wrestlers in the flyweight division. 

The former NCAA Division I wrestler from Drexel Univerity averages nearly five takedowns each time he steps into the cage, per FightMetric. 

When Makovsky stands opposite Dodson on May 23, it will be the second time he faces a member of the flyweight elite. If history is any indicator, he will have a tough time figuring out The Magician’s tricks.

Fun Size failed in his first foray into the upper echelon of the 125-pound weight class. The Georgia native was stifled by Nova Uniao’s Jussier Formiga at UFC Fight Night 47 in August.   

Makovsky‘s opponent on Memorial Day weekend, Dodson, stopped the Brazilian ground specialist Formiga with strikes in the second round of their UFC on FX 5 tilt in October 2012. 

The pair’s UFC 187 main card spot will have title implications. Following his win over Moraga, Dodson was on the cusp of earning a rematch with Mighty Mouse, UFC President Dana White alluded. 

Dodson currently sits at No. 1 in UFC.com’s flyweight rankings while Makovsky checks in at No. 9. Will Makovsky prove that he’s a worthy title challenger, or does Dodson send the prospect back into flyweight purgatory?

A disastrous knee injury like the one Dodson suffered has the power to strip the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based fighter of his greatest asset: his speed. The TUF 14 alum is one of the division’s most entertaining and successful fighters because he is able to stick-and-move. 

If his knee is at full strength, expect The Magician to dodge Makovsky‘s takedowns attempts and put on a magic show at UFC 187. 

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John Dodson Comments on How Demetrious Johnson Affects UFC Flyweight Division

Demetrious Johnson is widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters competing in MMA today. Yet, despite his success inside the Octagon, UFC flyweight contender John Dodson believes Mighty Mouse is having a negative impact on the division….

Demetrious Johnson is widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters competing in MMA today. Yet, despite his success inside the Octagon, UFC flyweight contender John Dodson believes Mighty Mouse is having a negative impact on the division.

Speaking with Shaun Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com, Dodson praised the champion’s abilities inside the cage but pointed to his actions outside of fighting being a hindrance on all UFC flyweights.

He’s showcasing his ability to be a true champion by being able to finish by strikes, submissions, or a winning decision without squeaking by anybody. With that being said, him not being able to pop kind of ruins it for all of us. That’s why we all need to step up as athletes and start doing it ourselves. If the division wants to have some limelight, then we need to start having some other fighters who can present that opportunity.

Indeed, the UFC flyweight division has been on an uphill climb since the creation of the division. UFC middleweight Michael Bisping infamously called his showdown with Brian Stann at UFC 152 “the real main event” despite the fact Johnson and Joseph Benavidez were headlining the card for the inaugural UFC flyweight championship.

According to MMAPayout, Johnson’s UFC 174 title defense managed a meager 115,000 pay-per-view buys, and his most recent title defense at UFC 178 barely eclipsed the 200,000 buyrate. Johnson has also struggled in the TV ratings as well. 

It’s not the first time a fellow flyweight has called out Johnson for his lack of promoting himself or upcoming fights. Back in October, Ian McCall was blunt in his criticism of the champion when speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour.

“No one really gives a s–t about us, and it’s true,” McCall claimed. “The guy has the personality of my coffee mug. Actually, my coffee mug has more personality because it’s a Joe Rogan coffee mug, so never mind. He doesn‘t do his job as far as marketing.”

McCall is also doing his part to create some intrigue in the division with his upcoming fight against John Lineker. Originally scheduled for UFC Fight Night 56, the two men exchanged verbal jabs at one another through Twitter in the lead-up to their fight.

McCall also hilariously took his time to sip on some fluids prior to the two men having a post-weigh-in staredown after the Brazilian missed weight.

McCall would be admitted to a hospital the night before the bout was to happen and the two would be rescheduled to compete at UFC 183. Lineker has since offered McCall a “peace offering” of sorts.

While fighters have been quick to point to Johnson’s personality traits as a reason why the flyweight division has struggled, it’s not the main factor. Numbers are down across the board, which doesn’t help, but it’s also due in large part to the dominance the champion has displayed in his contests.

Johnson has already defeated most of the top contenders in the division and has made it look easy in the process. The only man to give Johnson trouble since he became champion was Dodson, but the challenger is still recovering from an ACL injury.

Without credible challengers, it’s going to be hard for the UFC to promote Johnson’s title fights as something of a special event. Lineker has struggled with making weight, Kyoji Horiguchi is a rising contender but is still likely at least two fights away from a title shot, and most of the top 10 already has a loss from Johnson.

Johnson isn’t the most marketable champion in terms of drawing fans in, but as Dodson pointed out, that puts the ball squarely in the court of rising challengers to do their job of selling fights with or without the belt on the line.

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Power Ranking John Dodson’s 5 UFC Victories

Former flyweight title challenger John “The Magician” Dodson has been relegated to the sidelines since his lopsided second-round TKO of John Moraga in June.
The 30-year-old re-aggravated a lingering knee issue during his bout with Moraga and underwent …

Former flyweight title challenger John “The Magician” Dodson has been relegated to the sidelines since his lopsided second-round TKO of John Moraga in June.

The 30-year-old re-aggravated a lingering knee issue during his bout with Moraga and underwent surgery a month later to repair his ACL and MCL. Dodson has compiled a 5-1 record in the UFC, including a first-round TKO over current 135-pound champion T.J. Dillashaw that won him The Ultimate Fighter in December 2011.

“I’m looking at six to eight months of me actually being out before I can start going back in the gym and going hard and stuff,” Dodson told Fox Sports in July.

By the looks of his Instagram account, he is on his way to a full recovery. Dodson, who fights out of Jackson’s MMA, remains the No. 2 flyweight behind champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. That doesn’t mean he’s set on a rematch.

“I’m trying to get whatever gold is available to get at that time,” Dodson told Bleacher Report’s Duane Finley in November. “I’ll take it from D.J. or T.J. It really doesn’t matter to me.

While we await his return at either 125 or 135 pounds—sometime later this year—let’s take a look at his most memorable wins in the UFC.

For the purpose of these rankings, difficulty of opponent and ease at which victory was achieved will be taken into account.

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John Dodson: Whether It’s D.J. or T.J., I’m Coming for Gold in 2015

John Dodson has his sights set on winning a UFC title in 2015, and “The Magician” doesn’t particularly care which division it comes in.
Even though the 30-year-old knockout artist is a former title challenger and perennial contender in the flyweight fo…

John Dodson has his sights set on winning a UFC title in 2015, and “The Magician” doesn’t particularly care which division it comes in.

Even though the 30-year-old knockout artist is a former title challenger and perennial contender in the flyweight fold, the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based slugger isn’t limiting his scope from taking aim at the bantamweight crown as well. Dodson gave 125-pound champion Demetrious Johnson his toughest test to date when the two squared off back in January of 2013 and already holds a victory over current bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw when he scored a TKO finish over the Team Alpha Male standout to become The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 winner back in 2011.

The way Dodson sees it, those circumstances give him options, and he’s willing to explore either road depending on which of the two gets him to a title shot the quickest. 

He was the No. 1 contender in the flyweight division before a torn ACL put him on the sidelines, and if “Mighty Mouse” doesn’t want to step back into the Octagon with him, the 125-pound powerhouse has no issues with jumping up a weight class to take a shot at championship gold.

He simply wants to fight for a title, and whether that opportunity comes against Johnson or Dillashaw makes zero difference to him.

“I’m coming back in 2015, and I’m trying to get whatever gold is available to get at that time,” Dodson told Bleacher Report. “I’ll take it from D.J. or T.J. It really doesn’t matter to me. I don’t think there is anyone in the flyweight division that is trying to fight me when I come back because they know the type of destructive power I bring.”

As for his return from the knee injury that knocked him out of action this summer, Dodson is taking the correct approach to ensure everything heals properly. While he wants nothing more than to fly back into action and resume his quest for a UFC championship, he’s also a savvy veteran of the game who understands how important it is to allow things to heal the right way.

That doesn’t mean he’s at peace with it all, but Dodson is positive that once his body is at 100 percent, there will be no one who can stop him from becoming champion when he resumes that particular quest in early 2015.

“It sucks, man, but this is what I have to do,” Dodson said in regard to his recovery. “I am a very patient man, but it sucks being bored. Doing all the physical therapy and not going hard in training is tough because I want to get back out there. That said, I want to make sure I come back stronger than ever, and that means I have to do things the right way at the right pace. It’s tough, but I’m making progress and making sure I can come back at full force when I return.”

 

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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