The New Jersey Athletic Control Board, headed in 2000 by Larry Hazzard, helped mixed martial arts take a giant step forward by becoming the first major state athletic commission to regulate the sport. The IFC was the first promotion to run a show in th…
The New Jersey Athletic Control Board, headed in 2000 by Larry Hazzard, helped mixed martial arts take a giant step forward by becoming the first major state athletic commission to regulate the sport. The IFC was the first promotion to run a show in the Garden State in September, 2000. The UFC soon followed with UFC 28.
These fight cards were a test run for the sport. Hazzard liked what he saw and MMA passed with flying colors. In April, 2001, Hazzard headed a meeting that included the UFC and other promoters, with Nevada’s Marc Ratner dialing in from his office in Las Vegas. Together they hammered out the official Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, relying heavily on previous work done in California and the Mixed Martial Arts Council rules created by Jeff Blatnick that the UFC already used to self-regulate their own bouts.
A few important changes were made, including banning the gi and wrestling shoes, and the establishment of weight classes from flyweight to super-heavyweight. The most important change, from a competition standpoint, was the banning of knees to the head of a grounded opponent.
It was a change Hazzard insisted upon. In the very first show in New Jersey, enormous heavyweight Gan McGee dropped knee after knee on the head of overmatched and outsized opponent Brad Gabriel. Blood flowed and it took the referee an eternity to intervene. Hazzard cringed sitting ringside and the knee to the head had seen its last day in American MMA.
Today, a fighter cannot be kicked or kneed in the head when he’s on the ground—including when he has a hand on the ground. The intent is to eliminate the Gan McGee knees of doom. But, along the way, savvy fighters like John Dodson have used the well-intentioned rule to game the system.
In his title fight against Demetrious Johnson, Dodson put one hand on the ground to remove the knee from Johnson’s arsenal of strikes. Johnson either didn’t notice or didn’t care, kneeing Dodson right in the face.
“The first time I put my knee to his head, I couldn’t tell because I was looking at the back of his head,” Johnson told Fuel TV after the bout. “After the first time I got warned, I apologized about that. I could feel his pressure and he has to move. It’s not checkers – it’s chess damn it!”
Referee John McCarthy was forced to step in and separate the fighters when the technically illegal blow affected the bout. He didn’t take a point, but he could have, unnecessarily adding controversy to a fight that was a thrilling back-and-forth showdown.
“I do think the point should have been taken away. It was an illegal knee and it caused damage,” UFC President Dana White told Fuel TV after the fight. “There should have been a point taken away. But I hate that rule. The reason it’s there, it’s for soccer kicks when guys are down on the ground. But I don’t like when guys put their hand down to protect them from it. It was an awesome fight, a close fight and a controversial fight.”
It’s a rule that needs to be adjusted to protect the integrity of the sport. Anytime a fighter can blatantly game the system, the way Dodson did, the sport as a whole looks downright silly. He wasn’t protecting himself and his position didn’t make him particularly vulnerable. He was exploiting a loophole. And that has to stop.
When the UFC first began its relationship with Fox, the results were mixed. The first show had only a 64 second fight, and the next two shows – while solid – didn’t do so well in the ratings. Even as the cards themselves picked up on UFC on Fox 4 and 5, the production of the show was excessively drawn out and was tedious to watch at times. But UFC on Fox 6 showed just how good these cards can be. Packed with excellent, violent fights, and backed with the full might of the Fox marketing machine, this card was the first that fulfilled the potential of MMA on network television.
But let’s talk fights, shall we? I know the flyweights aren’t nearly as respected as they should be in some parts of the fight community, but if you’re still in those parts after last night’s performance, do us all a favor, stop reading and get the fuck out. Because what you just witnessed was one of the best, if not the best 5-round title fights in the promotion’s history. In an extraordinarily competitive fight, John Dodson took an early lead off the strength of his…well, strength. He landed a number of monster lefts that were able to knock Demetrious Johnson down, and showed how he is arguably the most exciting fighter in the entire division.
But it was for naught, because what Dodson has in excitement, Johnson has in sheer stamina, will and technique. He roared back in the latter rounds, particularly the championship rounds, delivering innumerable knees to the head, body and legs, mixing in takedowns, and consistently pushing forward. Dodson was unable to keep Johnson’s pace, and in the final round, Johnson unleashed vicious flurries as Dodson backed up. Though he never wilted, Dodson was defeated. Demetrious Johnson remained champion, and was able to deliver one of the better post-fight shout outs you’ll hear. While Benson Henderson may believe all things are possible through Christ (excuse me, “through CHRIST!!!”), Johnson appears to have sided with a more contemporary deity – the Xbox 360.
When the UFC first began its relationship with Fox, the results were mixed. The first show had only a 64 second fight, and the next two shows – while solid – didn’t do so well in the ratings. Even as the cards themselves picked up on UFC on Fox 4 and 5, the production of the show was excessively drawn out and was tedious to watch at times. But UFC on Fox 6 showed just how good these cards can be. Packed with excellent, violent fights, and backed with the full might of the Fox marketing machine, this card was the first that fulfilled the potential of MMA on network television.
But let’s talk fights, shall we? I know the flyweights aren’t nearly as respected as they should be in some parts of the fight community, but if you’re still in those parts after last night’s performance, do us all a favor, stop reading and get the fuck out. Because what you just witnessed was one of the best, if not the best 5-round title fights in the promotion’s history.
In an extraordinarily competitive fight, John Dodson took an early lead off the strength of his…well, strength. He landed a number of monster lefts that were able to knock Demetrious Johnson down, and showed how he is arguably the most exciting fighter in the entire division. But it was for naught, because what Dodson has in excitement, Johnson has in sheer stamina, will and technique. He roared back in the latter rounds, particularly the championship rounds, delivering innumerable knees to the head, body and legs, mixing in takedowns, and consistently pushing forward.
Dodson was unable to keep Johnson’s pace, and in the final round, Johnson unleashed vicious flurries as Dodson backed up. Though he never wilted, Dodson was defeated. Demetrious Johnson remained champion, and was able to deliver one of the better post-fight shout outs you’ll hear. While Benson Henderson may believe all things are possible through Christ (excuse me, “through CHRIST!!!”), Johnson appears to have sided with a more contemporary deity – the Xbox 360.
In the co-main event, Glover Teixeira showed why the hype behind him isn’t a joke. “Rampage” Jackson came out motivated, and despite the snark put forth his way of late, he put up a fight. He mixed in hooks, low kicks, jabs, and had excellent head movement and defense throughout. Was he in the best shape of his life, as he claimed? No. But he presented a serious challenge to Teixeira, who throws mostly hooks, which Jackson excels in defending. And through the first few minutes of the first round, you could make the argument Jackson was winning the fight.
Then Glover decided it was time to use some world class grappling. Jackson’s takedown defense isn’t what it was, but then again, the wrestling in MMA isn’t what it was either. Teixeira transitioned beautifully between single legs, double legs and body locks during his takedowns, and that’s how he was able to drag Quentin down. And when he had him down, that’s where “Rampage” was helpless. He was able to return to his feet each time, save the last, but not before suffering ground and pound and fending off submission attempts.
On the feet, the fight remained competitive, though Glover was able to hurt Jackson at least twice. The best moment of the fight came in the second round, where Jackson and Teixeira engaged in a type of call-and-response boxing exchange, each man trading combinations and daring the other to fell him. It was a surreal test of skill and display of braggadocio from both men, and when Teixeira came on top after landing a serious body shot, you knew that the fight was over.
Jackson’s career in the UFC might be done now, but even in defeat he helped build a challenger – who realized he had to develop a jab against a an opponent with excellent boxing defense – in a division that he helped define for the better part of the past decade. Hopefully, he won’t end up as the next Gary Goodridge, but only time will tell.
I have mixed feelings about the bout between Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone. On one hand, I thought this was going to be the most exciting, competitive, back-and-forth fight of the night. (In other words, I thought it was going to be Fight of the Night.) That did not happen. But what did happen… what did happen was Pettis made Cerrone – who possesses arguably the best Muay Thai in the division – look like a nobody. He utterly annihilated him with superior boxing, footwork, a spinning wheel kick (that missed), a knee off the wall and finally a brutal liver kick that probably gave Bas Rutten a spontaneous erection, even if he wasn’t watching the fights. There’s not much to say here – Anthony Pettis deserves, and is getting, the next lightweight title shot after Melendez. He’s also the most exciting striker not named Anderson Silva.
On the first fight of the main card, Ricardo Lamas continued his tear in the featherweight division by brutally dispatching Erik Koch in the second round. After Koch attempted to capitalize on a Lamas slip, only to be taken down, Lamas rained devastation from above, smashing Kock with elbows and punches that opened up a brutal cut, squirting blood of its own accord. Koch, someone who was supposed to challenge Jose Aldo for the featherweight crown, was left with nothing but shattered dreams and blood. Lots and lots of blood. Lamas, on the other hand, might take his place as the next man in line for a shot.
Two notes from the undercard; one, Clay Guida did not deserve to win that fight. Hatsu Hioki, although he was on the bottom for most of the fight, controlled the entire fight with his guard and through submission attempts. He even did more damage than Guida on the feet. Judges continue to overrate takedowns that accomplish little to nothing for the fighter in top position. If it was Minotauro Nogueira on bottom, he’d have won. Because he’s Asian and relatively unknown, he lost. It’s unacceptable. On the bright side, T.J. Grant brought the pain to Matt Wiman. Grant dominated with brilliant Muay Thai before putting Wiman out of his misery with two beautiful standing elbows. Sadly, he didn’t manage to get KO of the Night because of Pettis’ liver kick, but he should get a fight with Jim Miller to find out who truly has the best ginger beard in the division.
Main Card Results
Demetrious Johnson def. John Dodson via UD (48-47 x2, 49-46)
Glover Teixeira def. Quentin “Rampage” Jackson via UD (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Anthony Pettis def. Donald Cerrone via TKO (2:35, Round 1)
Ricardo Lamas def. Erik Koch via TKO (2:32, Round 2)
Preliminary Card Results
T.J. Grant def. Matt Wiman via KO (4:51, Round 1)
Clay Guida def. Hatsu Hioki via SD (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)
Pascal Krauss def. Mike Stumpf via UD (30-27 x3)
Ryan Bader def. Vladimir Matyushenko via SUB (0:50, Round 1)
Shawn Jordan def. Mike Russow via TKO (3:48, Round 2)
Rafael Natal def. Shane Spencer via SUB (2:13, Round 3)
David Mitchell def. Simeon Thoreson via UD (30-27 x3)
John Dodson has looked phenomenal in his recent UFC fights. As the smallest bantamweight during The Ultimate Fighter 14, he should assert his superiority by winning the entire season. After dropping to flyweight following the match, he quickly asserted…
John Dodson has looked phenomenal in his recent UFC fights. As the smallest bantamweight during The Ultimate Fighter 14, he should assert his superiority by winning the entire season.
After dropping to flyweight following the match, he quickly asserted himself as the No. 1 contender and got his title shot at UFC on Fox 6 on Saturday.
Unfortunately for him, Dodson came up short, unable to unseat the champion Demetrious Johnson.
But let’s be honest.
Flyweight is probably the thinnest division in the UFC and it won’t be long before Dodson is back in the running for a title shot. And that is largely due to a lack of opponents for title-holder Johnson, who is coming close to cleaning out the division.
As the champion waits to find out who his next opponents will be, here are five potential fights for Dodson to take next.
When Demetrious Johnson and Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson collided at UFC on Fox 6 Saturday night in the United Center in Chicago, the flyweight title was hanging in the balance. It was the first time that the newly established championship would…
When Demetrious Johnson and Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson collided at UFC on Fox 6 Saturday night in the United Center in Chicago, the flyweight title was hanging in the balance. It was the first time that the newly established championship would be defended by the inaugural kingpin, and the action headlined an exciting evening of fights.
After five rounds of action, Johnson was awarded a unanimous decision victory, despite some scary moments caused by his opponent in the early goings.
The action began quickly with the two flyweights utilizing tremendous movement while trying to establish their range. Shooting in for quick one- or two-punch attacks, the two didn’t seem to have much success in doing damage.
Ninety seconds into the opening frame, Dodson countered Johnson’s attack with a two-punch combo that sent Johnson to his knees. Now that Johnson felt the power of his challenger, he knew what he was up against.
Shortly afterward, Johnson threw a head kick in hopes of returning the favor; however, Dodson was able to elevate Mighty Mouse after the failed attempt and slam him to the ground.
Much of the action centered around Johnson pushing forward while Dodson back-peddled, each man throwing strikes along the way. While Johnson was more active, it is Dodson whose strikes were more accurate and did the most damage.
Johnson looked to close the distance by throwing longer punches while charging forward. Slower opponents would be in a lot of danger from this attack, but Dodson was able to match the pace and avoid damage while landing counter shots of his own.
Round 1 continued to frustrate Johnson as Dodson brilliantly used his upper body strength to avoid being taken down. When Mighty Mouse shot in and gained control of the hips, Dodson found himself able to post one or both of his hands under and was able to scoot out of his opponent’s grasp.
The two men did some jockeying for position while clinched against the cage, while each man scored some short shots to score points before the first horn sounded.
When Round 2 began, the pace continued with Johnson pushing forward, but more respectful of his opponent’s punches. Early in the round, DJ used a single collar tie to back Dodson against the cage, before dropping down and securing a double leg.
Dodson found himself seated against the cage with Johnson holding on to his legs. With his back against the cage, Dodson posted one hand on the mat, while pushing off of Johnson’s back with his other. This allowed him to use his strength advantage to avoid DJ’s top game.
After returning to his feet, Dodson continued circling away from the lunging shots from Johnson.
About two minutes into the second round, Dodson had done a good job of timing Johnson’s attacks. The moment that he saw DJ move forward, the challenger unleashed a four-punch combination: a pair of hooks to the body, a right uppercut to the chin and a short left hook.
This was the most significant attack of the fight, as Johnson immediately dropped.
Johnson wasn’t out, but a slow reaction time from Dodson was more than enough opportunity for Mighty Mouse to scoot backward and create some distance while recovering.
Shortly after, Dodson slipped a right hand from Johnson and then slipped a left before unleashing a left cross that put Mighty Mouse down for the third time in this fight.
Once again, Johnson was quick to his feet, although Dodson did try to charge in for the kill this time around.
After feeling the power that The Magician has, Johnson shot in for another takedown, although is was unsuccessful.
The two men shadowboxed a bit, as if they could not find their range, and Dodson countered another attack with a left hand that frustrated the champion.
At this point, Johnson began opening his combinations with a push kick or outside leg kick as a way to mix up the attack and hopefully give Dodson more trouble in countering. It proved somewhat effective, although it was a second round scored for Dodson, who sat ahead on the scorecards 20-18.
Round 3 opened with the fighters looking to deliver low kicks. Johnson fired out a quick sweeping kick, but Dodson caught it and threw a counterstrike to make him pay for it.
In hopes of getting the fight down, Johnson circled left and showed a double jab as a way to disguise his single-leg takedown, but Dodson wasn’t fooled. The Magician landed an interceptor knee to the upper chest of Mighty Mouse, but the champion held on to the knee in hopes of finishing the takedown.
Dodson escaped the attempt by spinning around and putting his knee down on the canvas, with Johnson kneeling next to him while wrapped onto the leg. Dodson used his hand to push off of Johnson’s neck before scooting away and freeing himself.
The escape saw Dodson hop away up against the fence and Johnson pursued a clinch. Unfortunately, a low knee caused a temporary break to the action.
After the action resumed, Johnson began adding volume to his combinations in hopes that the final strikes would have more success than the early ones which were being avoided.
Mighty Mouse found some confidence in his hands after scoring a right hook, left hook combo—which he followed up with a front kick.
Johnson scored an important takedown with about 90 seconds left in the third frame. Unlike previous attempts, Johnson was able to keep top position and avoid Dodson powering his way back to his feet.
After 45 seconds of control, Dodson was able to escape, although Johnson landed a quick series of strikes to make him pay for it. It was a round that I likely would have scored for Dodson, although Johnson turned up the heat in the final 90 seconds to steal this one.
The score was 29-28 after three rounds, and John Dodson was breathing heavily between rounds. It was here that it became obvious that Demetrious Johnson’s condition was superior.
Round 4 saw Johnson score an early takedown, but Dodson quickly returned to his feet. Johnson had control of the head and neck and looked to throw knees.
Dodson got a hand down to make himself a “downed opponent,” although Johnson apparently didn’t see it before he unloaded an illegal knee.
After the apology, they get back into it, and Dodson quickly catches a low kick and fires a counterstrike to throw Johnson off balance.
Two minutes into the fourth round and the total strike count is 104-to-71 in favor of the champion, according to on-screen statistics.
Mighty Mouse continued to have trouble securing his takedowns, but Johnson adopts a Muay Thai clinch and delivers a beautiful knee to the face. Once again, Dodson puts a hand on the canvas to prevent eating knees to the head.
In a brilliant move, Johnson began throwing knees to the shoulder and legs of Dodson whenever his hand was down. As soon as Dodson lifted his hand in hopes of improving position, Johnson redirected his attack and threw several knees to the face and head of Dodson.
Had Dodson spun out or dropped to the ground, he could have avoided taking those vicious knees. Instead, he attempted to throw a back elbow to his opponent’s midsection in hopes of getting the maneuver to end by force.
That game continued for most of the final 90 seconds of the round, and Johnson did tremendous damage with those knees.
Heading into the final round, the score sits at 38-38 and Johnson looks like he has a lot more gas in the tank than Dodson.
Wasting little time with striking, Johnson scores a takedown that sees The Magician sitting against the cage, in hopes of posting and returning to his feet. After being controlled a bit, Dodson was successful in getting up.
Dodson used pressure to back Johnson up against the cage and he looked to hold Mighty Mouse there. At this point, Johnson used the pressure to his advantage as he slightly jumped up and allowed Dodson to hold him in an elevated position against the cage.
From that position, Johnson grabbed the MuayThai plum and delivered short elbows to Dodson’s head that caused the challenger to give up his position.
With three minutes left on the clock, Johnson recognizes his success with the clinch and hunted for it when the action moved to close quarters.
Dodson began hunting for takedowns of his own in the final round in hopes of securing a third round on the scorecard. Halfway through the final round, he scored one, but Johnson was quick to return to his feet, and he remained the more aggressive fighter on the feet.
Less than 100 ticks on the clock and Johnson goes back to the clinch for some knees. Dodson tries to get away, and Johnson lands a series of uppercuts against the cage.
With his face bleeding, Dodson is having a lot of trouble getting away from the high volume of power strikes that are coming his way. Johnson would land three more knees to the face before a pair of hooks found their home on John’s face.
Thirty seconds are left on the clock, and Dodson looks like he is simply trying to survive. Johnson refuses to release the MuayThai clinch, and he continues to throw knees until the final horn sounds.
Two judges agree with the 48-47 score that I gave to Demetrious Johnson, while one saw it 49-46 in favor of the champion.
The undying cardiovascular conditioning of Mighty Mouse is ultimately what made the difference in this contest, and the utilization of the Muay Thai clinch did more damage than anything else in this five-round slugfest.
John Dodson came painstakingly close to nabbing Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson’s flyweight title at UFC on Fox 6.In Round 2 of their affair, Dodson clipped the champion twice—sending Mighty Mouse tumbling awkwardly to the canvas on each occasi…
John Dodson came painstakingly close to nabbing Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson’s flyweight title at UFC on Fox 6.
In Round 2 of their affair, Dodson clipped the champion twice—sending Mighty Mouse tumbling awkwardly to the canvas on each occasion.
Dodson kept his composure and did not blitz for the finish, though, and that lack of a rush may have spelled his demise.
Johnson came back strong and clearly took Rounds 3, 4 and 5 in my book—winning a split decision for his efforts.
So what’s next for Dodson?
Let’s make this clear: Dodson looked good. Every question we had about him—his cardio, his heart and his composure under the big stage—was a non-factor in this bout.
Dodson showed an incredible will to win, excellent conditioning and the willingness to engage Mighty Mouse for the bout’s duration. Not many guys can match Johnson’s pace for 25 minutes, and Dodson performed admirably.
Furthermore, Dodson posed much more of a threat to Johnson than anybody else has thus far in the champion’s career. The Jackson MMA fight hurt Johnson badly—a feat not to be taken lightly. Johnson is incredibly deft, and catching him with a hard shot is an achievement.
A rematch makes sense, as the fight was certainly competitive. Dodson clearly showed where he can win the fight, but that path is highly unlikely.
The UFC will want to build stars in the flyweight division, and my guess is that an immediate rematch does not tickle the company’s fancy from a business standpoint.
So, let us turn to a UFC 156 matchup between Joseph Benavidez and Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall.
This fight looms just around the corner on Feb 2, and the winner of that bout will be primed for a title shot.
What the winner should be primed for, however, is John Dodson.
The flyweight division is still disgustingly thin, and a victory by either Benavidez or McCall will only set up a not-so-juicy rematch with Johnson, and that is a bad idea.
Let the winner of Benavidez versus McCalll fight Dodson, and then that victor can then safely and reasonably stake his claim to the title of “No. 1 contender.”
All things considered, I think Dodson deserves the winner of Benavidez vs. McCall.
It will postpone a championship fight rematch at least briefly, and it will better establish a No. 1 contender.
Right now, the division appears to be comprised of Mighty Mouse, three legitimate contenders and some other guys.
It’s harsh to say, but the division is young, and the reality is that the talent pool is not deep enough yet to create fresh and intriguing title matchups.
It sucks, friends, but we are in for a rematch one way or another.
Dodson vs. either Benavidez or McCall will be a fresh matchup, and I think the UFC should capitalize on that opportunity.
(Now there’s two guys you definitely wouldn’t want to trip over in a dark alley. / Photo via CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)
The UFC returns to FOX tonight, and the stakes are high: Can John Dodson become the fourth Ultimate Fighter winner to win a UFC championship? Will Rampage Jackson‘s final appearance in the UFC end in triumph or humiliation? Can Erik Koch regain his place as the #1 featherweight contender with a win over Ricardo Lamas, and will Anthony Pettis secure his own spot atop the lightweight contender ladder with a victory against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone?
But hey, enough damn questions — it’s time for some answers. CagePotato liveblogger Aaron Mandel will be providing round-by-round results from the UFC on FOX 6: Johnson vs. Dodson main card after the jump, beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and share your own feelings in the comments section.
(Now there’s two guys you definitely wouldn’t want to trip over in a dark alley. / Photo via CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)
The UFC returns to FOX tonight, and the stakes are high: Can John Dodson become the fourth Ultimate Fighter winner to win a UFC championship? Will Rampage Jackson‘s final appearance in the UFC end in triumph or humiliation? Can Erik Koch regain his place as the #1 featherweight contender with a win over Ricardo Lamas, and will Anthony Pettis secure his own spot atop the lightweight contender ladder with a victory against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone?
But hey, enough damn questions — it’s time for some answers. CagePotato liveblogger Aaron Mandel will be providing round-by-round results from the UFC on FOX 6: Johnson vs. Dodson main card after the jump, beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and share your own feelings in the comments section.
Good evening PotatoHeads, we’re a few minutes away from grappling robots which will signal the start of main card action on FOX. Congrats to Alex for his marathon, six fight live blog cherry popping with the prelims. We’ve got some great free fights tonight include a championship bout, a possible number one contender fight and some crowd pleasers. Stay tuned!
And the broadcast is off to a weird start with lots of technical difficulties and sound mishaps, fortunately there is a Bud Light commercial to cut to, this is the best sport on earth, people! Goldberg back to save us with functioning microphones and his best friend ever, Joe Rogan and the broadcast intro has begun.
Koch has a pretty intense fake tan that apparently he was sponsored to get, Lamas is the hometown fighter. Big John in charge of this one.
Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas
Round 1- Fighters feelings each other out at the start in the center of the cage. Lamas tries a huge windmill kick that misses. Koch with a head kick of his own that is blocked. Punches and kicks from Koch are dodged and blocked by Lamas as they continue to feel each other out. Lamas shoots for a takedown and pins Koch to the cage. Koch sprawling and defending the takedown well. Lamas drags him down for a split second but Koch pops up and sprawls with his back against the cage again. Lamas continuing to hold Koch against the cage, jockeying for position. Koch continuing to defend in the clinch against the cage. They separate and return to striking distance. Lamas looking crafty with his kicks but they aren’t landing. Lamas lands a combo and clinches Koch against the cage again. Lamas gets a takedown but it doesn’t last more than five seconds, Koch is up and the round is over. I’d give it to Lamas on octagon control, not a lot of damage either way so far.
Round 2- Koch opens with a left. A few legs kicks from Lamas and now Koch puts Lamas against the cage. Lamas slips on a leg kick, Koch pounces but Lamas scrambles and ends up on top in guard. Lamas posturing and throwing down strikes. Lamas stacking Koch and dropping bombs, Koch bleeding badly as Lamas keeps pounding and Big John calls the fight.
Ricardo Lamas defeats Erik Koch via TKO, Round 2
Koch was cut terribly from only a few elbows and Lamas makes a case for himself at the top of the featherweight division. He thanks the hometown crowd and dedicates the win to his late grandparents.
Dana White gets on the mic with Rogan to hype Aldo vs. Edgar on PPV next week. A lightweight barn burner looms as Cowboy Cerrone and Showtime Pettis get ready to meet in the cage.
Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis
Round 1- Pettis lands first with a big right. They exchange in a flurry and Cerrone gets him back. Cerrone lands with a knee as Pettis tries a cartwheel kick. Pettis in with a right and out quickly and opening up with strikes, seeming a bit more comfortable striking early. Pettis with some body kicks and a “Showtime knee” that seem to hurt Cerrone. Pettis crushes Cerrone with a left kick to the body, Cerrone drops and it is over, brutal liver kick finish, somewhere Bas Rutten is smiling.
Anthony Pettis defeats Donald Cerrone via TKO (body kick), Round 1
Pettis gets the Milwaukee fans in attendance pumped and makes it clear he’s not afraid to fight anyone. It turns out it’s his birthday and he asks for a title shot and a KOTN bonus from Uncle Dana as a present.
Next up we’ve got the potential UFC swan song of former light heavyweight champion Rampage Jackson who is taking on rising contender Glover Teixeira. Can Rampage rediscover his old knockout power and slam-based grappling or is the hungrier Teixeira going to be too much for him? Will Rampage get his wish for a stand-up battle? We’ll have answers to these burning questions of our time in a few minutes.
Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira
Round 1- Damn, I’m pumped for this, don’t know why but I am! Teixeira misses with an uppercut. Rampage slugs back but it’s blocked. Rampage moving his head well. Glover shoots in and takes him down and has Rampage’s back with hooks in, yikes. Glover is going for the arm triangle and switches back to the back mount. Rampage is up and firing away! Rampage ducks a strike and answers with a left hook, a glancing blow though. Head kick from Glover doesn’t land flush. Rampage with a combo of power strikes that Glover blocks. Huge strikes from both fighters that just miss. Rampage moving his head well and swaying out of the way. Glover lands a hook and Rampage answers back, he is throwing the left hook. Glover lands another hook and Rampage runs across the cage, maybe hurt a little. Glover wobbles Rampage and stalks him toward the cage. Rampage gets dropped as Glover pounces but can’t finish. Rampage back up but on wobbly legs as the round ends. 10-9 for Teixeira.
Round 2- Rampage seems to have cleared the cobwebs as Glover shoots and takes Rampage down to start the round. Glover in half guard as Rampage tries to hit a switch and fails. Glover passes to side control and drops some big elbows. Rampage back to his feet. Rampage throws a few big uppercuts as Glover answers back with a hook. The fighters briefly clinch and then back to striking distance. Glover is having success with the left hook. Body shot from Rampage. Uppercuts from Glover as Rampage defends with head movement. Rampage seems to be tiring. Rampage shoots for a takedown (ha!) that fails. Glover working some kicks. Fighters exchange some taunts and swing at each other. Big body shots from Glover as he keeps clubbing Rampage. Another 10-9 round for Glover.
Round 3- Touch of the gloves to start the final round. Glover lands another left hook and Rampage back with a stiff jab. Rampage putting together some combos. Teixeira shoots for a takedown and has it, pushing Rampage against the cage and working to mount from half guard. Teixeira dropping elbows and searching for an arm triangle. Rampage uses the cage to get up and they exchange again. Rampage swinging wildly and falls into a clinch. Glover with another left hook that finds its mark. Two minutes to go and Glover seems fresher. Teixeira gets a takedown with ease but Rampage pops back up. Rampage looks gassed as he absorbs some body shots. Rampage has his mouth wide open gasping for air as he throws wild strikes. Another takedown for Teixeira as he mounts and rains down strikes as time expires. Teixeira should take this one easily.
Glover Teixeira defeats Quinton Jackson via unanimous decision
Interesting, no interview for Glover or Rampage, maybe the UFC was worried about what Rampage would say.
And now it’s time for some gravity defying things done by 125 pound men. Dodson’s walk in proves that he absolutely won’t be testing positive for ADD meds. Johnson is an athletic little guy too, it’s hard to say who will have the advantage here, I can’t imagine either one gassing or slowing down, even if it goes the full 25 minutes. Here we go!
Champ Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson
Round 1- Let’s see if my touch typing skills can keep up with all of this action. John McCarthy looks like he could eat either of these guys, he is the ref, by the way. Dodson with a body kick to start and a left straight. Johnson with a leg kick. Overhand right from Johnson. Kick from Johnson but Dodson meets him with a left and briefly drops Johnson. Head kick from Johnson is caught and Dodson slams him down. Johnson pops up and they return to striking. Johnson is missing with a lot of strikes, Dodson is damn fast. Body kick from Dodson and a big left to follow as Johnson rushed in. Johnson looks for a takedown and slams Dodson down to the mat. Dodson works back to the feet and they clinch on the cage with Dodson in control now. Fighters separate and re-clinch as the round ends. I have no idea who won that round, Johnson got a takedown but Dodson made him miss on the feet and briefly dropped Johnson. This is why I’m a liveblogger and not a judge.
Round 2- Dodson with some strikes to open the round. Johnson shoots for a takedown and they clinch on the cage. Johnson get Dodson down against the cage but Dodson works back up and they separate. Leg kick from Johnson and he’s controlling the center of the cage. Good jab from Johnson but Dodson comes back with a left that drops Johnson again, he pops right back up. Another left from Dodson floors Johnson but he gets up again, Johnson is hurt and shoots in but Dodson defends. Dodson’s power advantage is evident at this point but can he keep it up? Another shot knocks Johnson down but it may have been more of a slip. Dodson is winning the striking exchanges and Johnson seems a bit fuzzed still. Dodson catches a kick and cracks Johnson in the face. Johnson seems to be recovering as the round ends, 10-9 Dodson in this one.
Round 3- Jumping karate kick from Dodson looks cool but doesn’t land. Leg kicks from Johnson. Dodson catches Johnson with a left and Johnson keeps kicking away at his legs. Johnson shoots for a takedown and eats a knee as Dodson defends the takedown well. Dodson takes a big knee to the groin and Rogan gleefully asks to see a replay. Dodson is ready to go and they restart as Rogan rants about mother nature’s designing of the male body. Flying knee by Dodson goes OVER Johnson’s head. Straight left catches Johnson but he seems to be taking it well, obviously in excellent shape. Leg kicks from both fighters as haymakers from Dodson miss. Body kick from Dodson hurts Johnson. Johnson eats a punch but gets a takedown. Dodson with a loose butterfly guard and scoots to the wall to walk back to his feet. Johnson keeps his down and throws him back to the center of the cage. Johnson working some ground and pound to try to slow Dodson. They are back to the feet with Johnson throwing knees and punches and putting Dodson against the cage again. 10-9 Johnson in this round. It’s time for the championship rounds and Johnson seems the tiniest bit more fresh, we’ll see how the next rounds play out.
Round 4- Leg kicks from Dodson. Johnson has not slowed at all while Dodson is looking to hit a home run. Takedown by Johnson, but Dodson pops right back up. Johnson knees Dodson while he is down and Big John stops the fight, checks out Dodson and asks him to look at him with his bad eye that got kneed. ”Am I ugly?” McCarthy asks Dodson! No point deduction and they restart. Dodson is fired up and throwing with bad intentions but Johnson is relentless, shooting in again for a takedown and pushing the pace. They are against the cage with Johnson working for a takedown. Back to the center and Johnson pushes for another takedown. Dodson is playing cat and mouse with his hand up and down as Johnson chooses to knee the body instead. Johnson is like a robot kneeing Dodson over and over to the body and head from the clinch. Dodson is cut and Johnson is taking over. Big elbow from Johnson as they separate and Dodson seems to be wilting, Johnson is as fresh as he was at the start. 10-9 Johnson here but it might be two rounds each going into the fifth.
Round 5- This round could be the decider and they hug in the center of the cage to start. Johnson gets a clinch again and takes Dodson down this time. Johnson striking as Dodson works back to the feet. Johnson has his back against the cage and climbs up on Dodson to rain strikes down! Dodson initiates a clinch again as Rogan notes how incompetent the judges might be as he prepares for a controversial decision. Dodson now working for a takedown but Johnson is defending well. Dodson does get the takedown but Johnson is like a whack-a-mole and pops up yet again. Johnson keeping up a furious pace on Dodson and he has Dodson hurt against the cage. Johnson trying to unload but Dodson ties him up. Thai plum for Johnson and he knees the face. Dodson breaks away and smiles, honestly. More knees from Johnson and Dodson is bleeding from the nose. The fight ends with Johnson kneeing Dodson in the face and I think Johnson will take this on the judges scorecards due to his unbreakable cardio and strong performance in the later rounds.
Demetrious Johnson defeats John Dodson via unanimous decision
Mighty Mouse remains the only UFC Flyweight champ so far. I predict that these guys will meet again, maybe many more times. Johnson will win most of the time but I can see Dodson getting a (T)KO at some point down the road. Great night of fights, two finishes, two exciting decisions. Thanks for hanging out.
The New Jersey Athletic Control Board, headed in 2000 by Larry Hazzard, helped mixed martial arts take a giant step forward by becoming the first major state athletic commission to regulate the sport. The IFC was the first promotion to run a show in the Garden State in September, 2000. The UFC soon followed with UFC 28.
