When flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson (18-2-1) squares off against Joseph Benavidez (19–3) for the title in the main event of UFC on Fox 9, the anticipation surrounding the rematch will have mixed martial arts fans flocking to the televisio…
When flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson (18-2-1) squares off against Joseph Benavidez (19–3) for the title in the main event of UFC on Fox 9, the anticipation surrounding the rematch will have mixed martial arts fans flocking to the television to watch the event.
The show was originally supposed to feature Anthony Pettis vs. TJ Grant for the lightweight championship, but a string of injuries to multiple competitors forced that bout and its alternatives to be cancelled.
Replacement fights are typically a letdown, but after the classic first chapter in the battle between Johnson and Benavidez, this is a bout fans of the sport can rally around.
Here is all the vital viewing information to witness Saturday’s main event, the full card and a preview of the flyweight title fight.
The last time Johnson fought Benavidez, the two men were in the finals of the inaugural flyweight championship tournament at UFC 152. After brutalizing each other for five rounds, Johnson was awarded the split-decision victory.
Benavidez enters Saturday’s main event as the hungrier fighter with more to prove, and he will steal the show and the title with a decision victory of his own.
Three wins in a row since the loss to Johnson has momentum squarely on Benavidez’s side, but it’s more about how the No. 1 contender is winning his fights. TKO victories over Darren Uyenoyama and JussierFormiga via a flurry of punches and knees prove he is a more aggressive striker than he was a year ago.
Add in the devastating knockout of YasuhiroUrushitani in the semifinals of the tournament, and it is clear that Benavidez is the more powerful of the two fighters.
That doesn’t mean Johnson will just hand over his title, though.
The champion has successfully defended his belt twice in entertaining battles against John Dodson (won the Fight of the Night award) and John Moraga (won the Submission of the Night award).
Johnson deserved the victory in the first fight with Benavidez as much as his challenger, but the circumstances are different now. While Johnson has been feasting on the spoils of being a champion, Benavidez has been forced to scratch and claw his way back into the title scene.
These two men are evenly matched in speed and elusiveness, but the power advantage in the No. 1 contender’s striking will make the difference. If Benavidez can keep Johnson from taking this fight to the ground by countering with his own wrestling abilities, his striking advantage will be enough to get the decision victory and claim the flyweight title.
Predicted Winner: Joseph Benavidez via unanimous decision.
(Pettis perfectly executes an off-the-cage “Showtime Gloat.” / Photo via Getty)
Over the weekend, UFC president Dana White revealed that lightweight champion Anthony Pettis had suffered a knee injury in training, but was still expected to defend his belt against Josh Thomson in the main event of UFC on FOX 9 (December 14th, Sacramento). “He’s going to fight,” White said. “For sure.”
Well, not really. UFC officials announced last night that Pettis has pulled out of the match. We have no details on the nature or severity of Showtime’s injury at this time, or if it’s related to the knee injury that pushed Pettis out of UFC 163 back in June. We’ll keep you posted.
The UFC plans to re-book Pettis vs. Thomson when the champ is recovered, but you never know with these things. Thomson was already the second choice for Pettis’s UFC on FOX 9 opponent after TJ Grant had to stay sidelined due to concussion. If Grant is healthy by the time Pettis is, the UFC might just do Pettis vs. Grant like they had originally planned. Meanwhile, Josh Thomson’s immediate future is in limbo, and the famously cursed fighter just saw the biggest opportunity of his career go up in smoke. [Ed. note:We’ll start working on his illustrated timeline.]
Pettis’s injury has led to new main events for two upcoming cards…
(Pettis perfectly executes an off-the-cage “Showtime Gloat.” / Photo via Getty)
Over the weekend, UFC president Dana White revealed that lightweight champion Anthony Pettis had suffered a knee injury in training, but was still expected to defend his belt against Josh Thomson in the main event of UFC on FOX 9 (December 14th, Sacramento). “He’s going to fight,” White said. “For sure.”
Well, not really. UFC officials announced last night that Pettis has pulled out of the match. We have no details on the nature or severity of Showtime’s injury at this time, or if it’s related to the knee injury that pushed Pettis out of UFC 163 back in June. We’ll keep you posted.
The UFC plans to re-book Pettis vs. Thomson when the champ is recovered, but you never know with these things. Thomson was already the second choice for Pettis’s UFC on FOX 9 opponent after TJ Grant had to stay sidelined due to concussion. If Grant is healthy by the time Pettis is, the UFC might just do Pettis vs. Grant like they had originally planned. Meanwhile, Josh Thomson’s immediate future is in limbo, and the famously cursed fighter just saw the biggest opportunity of his career go up in smoke. [Ed. note:We’ll start working on his illustrated timeline.]
Pettis’s injury has led to new main events for two upcoming cards…
Perception dictates everything.
When a point of view is established, the realities of a situation begin to fill in. With each element that takes hold, a new set of circumstances develop, until it all takes shape to become something the mind can underst…
Perception dictates everything.
When a point of view is established, the realities of a situation begin to fill in. With each element that takes hold, a new set of circumstances develop, until it all takes shape to become something the mind can understand. Once the foundation is set, everything becomes amplified when goals are applied and the wheels are set in motion to achieve.
For No. 1 flyweight contender Joseph Benavidez, the weight of this process became overwhelming.
The Team Alpha Male staple had spent years carving out his place as one of the best lighter weight fighters in the world, but he had come up short in getting his hands on championship gold in the bantamweight division.
Down but not defeated, the LasCruces, New Mexico native became reinvigorated late in 2011 when the UFC officially announced it was creating a 125-pound weight class. The 28-year-old had been finding success against larger competition since joining the Zuffa banner in 2008.
He would not only be facing opponents closer to his natural size, but he would have an early jump start as a definitive fixture in the upper tier of the new weight class.
In Benavidez‘s mind, anything shy of becoming the inaugural flyweight champion was a failure. After two disappointing losses to bantamweight titleholder Dominick Cruz put him in title contention limbo, “Jobe” was determined to make sure the story wouldn’t repeat itself at 125 pounds.
While claiming UFC gold was tremendous motivation, a place in the history books added to the appeal. Earning a title is a defining moment in a fighter’s career, but even those fade over time. Becoming the first-ever flyweight champion would be an accomplishment that would stand forever, even if it someday became the answer to a trivia question.
But as Benavidez drew closer to the title, the perception of the situation he’d created in his mind became heavy. Here was a fighter who thrived on pressure throughout his career, but suddenly, his quest for the flyweight title became something different.
The goal became all-consuming. When he faced Demetrious Johnson at UFC 152 for the inaugural belt, everything shifted out of balance. Benavidez came out on the losing end of a split decision that night in Toronto, and while the result brought the sting of disappointment, it also yielded a powerful turn in his mindset.
In the aftermath of the fight, the former title challenger realized the weight of the outcome inside the cage didn’t carry dire circumstances. His life, and all the great things in it, would carry on regardless. He recognized that if the work was done, the end results would be produced.
With that new perception, he set out to get back on track.
“It’s been huge,” Benavidez told Bleacher Report. “It wasn’t so much of an overall change in mentality for me, but it was a change in mentality from that fight to my next. I feel I’ve always had that ‘another day at the office’ mindset, and each fight is a chance to test my skills, but I fell out of that mindset for the Johnson fight and treated it like it was something different. I found out that way isn’t for me. It isn’t for me to get emotional and put all this serious pressure on one fight.
“Our job is already serious enough. We punch each other in the face and fight. It’s already serious and there is no reason to make it any more serious. I had to ask myself why I treated it like I did. I didn’t enjoy training camp or anything about that fight. There was nothing fun about that experience and I needed to get back to that.”
Benavidez found freedom in this realization, and his change of perspective produced amazing results. He looked solid in his win over Ian McCall at UFC 156 in February, then steamrolled his next opponent, Darren Uyenoyama, via first-round knockout at UFC on Fox 7 three months later.
Following his victory in San Jose, talk of another title shot began to swirl, but with his new mindset at the wheel, Benavidez was in no rush to force the issue.
With Johnson slated to face John Moraga at UFC on Fox 8 in June, Benavidez rolled onto the next challenge. That came against JussierFormiga at Fight Night 28, and once again the heavy-handed flyweight delivered an amazing performance. He punished Formiga with his striking as he notched another first-round stoppage victory.
Toppling Formiga in Brazil made it three consecutive victories for the Sacramento-based fighter and gave him a clear-cut case for another shot at the title. In the days following his win, the UFC would call to set the title opportunity in stone.
Benavidez will square off with Johnson once again on Nov. 30 at the The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale in Las Vegas. While flyweight gold is once again hanging in the balance, this time around, the weight of the situation is exactly where he wants it to be.
“All the pressure I put on myself and obsessing about the result of that first fight isn’t something I can do,” Benavidez said. “Yes, becoming champion is my goal, but it’s not something I can control. The only way I can have any control of that is going out there every day and becoming the best fighter I can be. That’s my main goal without looking at the bigger picture. If I go out, put the work in to be the best fighter I can be, what else can I do? I can have these goals, but if I don’t strive to push myself, those goals are never going to be reached.
“This next fight is against Demetrious, it’s five rounds and there is a title on the line. The same things will be on the line as the first fight, but this is going to be just another fight for me. I lost the first one, but I really didn’t lose anything. I didn’t die, and everything was all right afterwards. My family and friends still loved me just the same after. This is just another fight for me and it’s the next fight after my last one.
“I knew I was going to have another fight after Formiga, and it just so happens to be against Demetrious for the title,” he added. “I’m going to keep doing the same things I’ve been doing and I’m going to handle this fight the same way I’ve handled every fight since our first one. I’m excited though, man. This will be another chance to test my skills, and it will be against the best guy in the world. That makes it a little more special.”
While the date has been set for his rematch with Johnson, the preparation has already begun because it never stopped. Benavidez has long understood the sweat equity it would take for him to become successful, and his work ethic has paid off every step of the way.
That being said, being one of the best isn’t the same as reaching the top of the mountain to become a champion on the sport’s biggest stage. Looking across that divide one year ago caused him to shift his perspective and pushed him off course. Now that he’s found his footing, he’s vowed not to make that mistake again.
The momentum he’s built is nice, but there is no big reward where he’s concerned. Each day produces results if the work is put in, and Benavidez believes the investment will yield the greatest reward as long as he continues to demand the most from himself.
“I do recognize momentum, and I see it as a positive,” Benavidez said. “I feel myself getting better with each practice, and then it shows in the fight, and that is where it really counts. You build momentum with the fans because of what happens in the cage, but I can also feel it in practice. I want to get better every day and I can feel myself improving as I go along.
“I believe I’m getting that done, and I’m taking it one day at a time. After this last fight, I knew because of the landscape of the division, this would be the one that gets the title shot. It wasn’t that I didn’t want it or I wasn’t ready; I was just looking at it as another fight because at the end of the day, that is what it is. When they asked me what I wanted next, it didn’t really matter to me. I just want to fight again, and I know I’m going to get better until that next fight comes.
“Whether that fight comes against Demetrious Johnson, who is just another guy in my mind—yes, he’s a great fighter, but he’s just another guy in my mind—or it comes against another tough fighter in the division, it’s just another fight to me.
“I keep it moving, and I don’t sit on my last performance and think about what should be coming to me,” he added in conclusion. “I get right back in the gym and keep pushing myself to improve. My goal is to become as good as I can be, and that is going to make me accomplish my other goals. I fought on a Wednesday in Brazil, got home on Friday and was back in the gym training on Monday. I haven’t stopped since then.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
(Pshht, whatever. Let us know when you guys weigh 400 pounds. / Photo via Getty)
Demetrious Johnson‘s first meeting with Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152 was a frantic, closely-pitched five-rounder that earned Mighty Mouse a split-decision victory and the UFC’s first-ever flyweight title. A year later, Johnson and Benavidez are still the two best 125-pounders in the UFC — so why not come back for an encore?
As for the challenger, Benavidez has looked more impressive with each recent outing — which is becoming a trend among Team Alpha Male fighters. Since his loss to Johnson, Benavidez has scored a decision win against Uncle Creepy, TKO’d Darren Uyenoyama, and laid a beating on Jussier Formiga. Joe B has clearly earned another shot at the belt, and he’s a markedly improved fighter compared to a year ago. Will it be enough to make the outcome any different this time?
(Pshht, whatever. Let us know when you guys weigh 400 pounds. / Photo via Getty)
Demetrious Johnson‘s first meeting with Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152 was a frantic, closely-pitched five-rounder that earned Mighty Mouse a split-decision victory and the UFC’s first-ever flyweight title. A year later, Johnson and Benavidez are still the two best 125-pounders in the UFC — so why not come back for an encore?
As for the challenger, Benavidez has looked more impressive with each recent outing — which is becoming a trend among Team Alpha Male fighters. Since his loss to Johnson, Benavidez has scored a decision win against Uncle Creepy, TKO’d Darren Uyenoyama, and laid a beating on Jussier Formiga. Joe B has clearly earned another shot at the belt, and he’s a markedly improved fighter compared to a year ago. Will it be enough to make the outcome any different this time?
It was the first-ever fight for the UFC flyweight title, and now both the original champion and challenger will get back in the Octagon to do it again.
UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will make his next title defense against th…
It was the first-ever fight for the UFC flyweight title, and now both the original champion and challenger will get back in the Octagon to do it again.
UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will make his next title defense against the man he defeated to capture the belt, Joseph Benavidez. The two fighters have agreed to meet at The Ultimate Fighter 18 finale slated for November 30 in Las Vegas, according to a report from UFC Tonight.
Johnson and Benavidez first met at UFC 152 in September 2012 to crown the first-ever flyweight champion after a four-man tournament took place earlier in the year. When the smoke cleared and the dust settled, Johnson stood tall as champion after winning a close decision.
Since that time, both fighters have won all their subsequent bouts in the division.
Johnson has gone on to defend his flyweight title on two occasions. He picked up a decision victory over John Dodson in January and most recently submitted John Moraga in his hometown of Seattle at UFC on Fox 8 in July.
In his last fight, the champ put on a nearly flawless performance as he dominated Moraga en route to a fifth-round armbar finish.
Meanwhile, Benavidez has done everything necessary to get back into the title picture since losing to Johnson last year.
The former WEC contender has gone on a blistering run of late with three wins in a row. He defeated Ian McCall by decision to start the run and then smashed Darren Uyenoyama and JussierFormiga in back-to-back fights by TKO.
Under the tutelage of coach Duane “Bang” Ludwig, Benavidez has been reborn as a new fighter along with his teammates at Team Alpha Male, and he’ll get the chance to prove that when he faces Johnson in November.
The bout between Johnson and Benavidez will headline the stacked card headed to Fox Sports 1 on Nov. 30. In addition to the main event, Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz will meet for the third time in a lightweight showdown, while the final fights in the men’s and women’s bantamweight divisions from The Ultimate Fighter will also take place on the card.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
(“We’re not angry with you, Ryan. We’re just disappointed.” Photo via Getty.)
Since ReX was finally able to unearth the Potato Index Supercomputer from his “Rave Cave” last week — which, FYI, is just a storage bin packed to the brim with CP t-shirts, used glowsticks, regifted blenders and vintage German porno mags — we figured we might as well continue running with this outdated piece of technology for the sake of nostalgia. For CagePotato readers, if anything, are a nostalgic bunch. Stubbornly trapped in the past and all but refusing to accept change you might even go as far as to say, but I digress. In any case, here are the numbers the CP Supercomputer was able to churn out based on the results of UFC 164 and Fight Night 28.
Two promotions. Two title fights. Two clear cut victories. Not only did Pettis earn an eternal place in Ben Henderson’s nightmares with one kick during their first encounter, but now he done went and submitted him inside of 5 minutes in their second. Lock up your daughters, lock up your wife, lock up your back door and run for your life. “Showtime” is back in town and he don’t mess around.
(“We’re not angry with you, Ryan. We’re just disappointed.” Photo via Getty.)
Since ReX was finally able to unearth the Potato Index Supercomputer from his “Rave Cave” last week — which, FYI, is just a storage bin packed to the brim with CP t-shirts, used glowsticks, regifted blenders and vintage German porno mags — we figured we might as well continue running with this outdated piece of technology for the sake of nostalgia. For CagePotato readers, if anything, are a nostalgic bunch. Stubbornly trapped in the past and all but refusing to accept change you might even go as far as to say, but I digress. In any case, here are the numbers the CP Supercomputer was able to churn out based on the results of UFC 164 and Fight Night 28.
Two promotions. Two title fights. Two clear cut victories. Not only did Pettis earn an eternal place in Ben Henderson’s nightmares with one kick during their first encounter, but now he done went and submitted him inside of 5 minutes in their second. Lock up your daughters, lock up your wife, lock up your back door and run for your life. “Showtime” is back in town and he don’t mess around.
Regardless of whether or not his thrashing of Frank Mir could have gone on a little longer, “The Warmaster” made a huge statement in his return bout nonetheless. Perhaps a fight with Travis Browne is on the horizon? Indubitably, you guys. Now will someone give the poor bastard a lift to the bus stop? He’s got these cheeseburgers, man…
He may still be an elite heavyweight by most standards, but ol’ Franky boy is a couple more beatdowns away from never being able to play Jenga with his kids again.
Fighting Clay Guida is like trying to wrangle a chicken in an amusement park while wearing a blindfold. Finishing the Energizer Blanket is even tougher. Clearly, smoking weed and watching fight videos with Duane Ludwig is paying off in spades for Team Alpha Male. But if we have to hear Chad talk about that dude in the bushes on the back of his twenties ONE MORE TIME.
Another tough break for the UFC’s hardest working and hardest playing star doesn’t do much for Guida’s stock. He’s a tough son of a bitch, that’s for sure, and a guy who will probably never become a champion or even an outright contender while still remaining a legitimate threat to those who are. Not much else to say, really.
We don’t know if we’ve ever seen a fighter as visibly confused as Brandon Vera was in the moments before Rothwell uncorked that beating on him in the third round. Unless you count Brandon Vera in the moments after Shogun Rua uncorked that beating on him in the fourth round last year. Welcome to No Man’s Land, Brandon. The summers are nice but the employment opportunities are somewhat scarce.
Another fantastic fight punctuated with violent exchanges is in the books for “Diamond,” who is quickly becoming one of the most exciting fighters at 145. At just 24 years old, he’s got a long UFC career ahead of him.
