The main event of UFC on FX 3 is a rematch of the highly-entertaining battle between flyweights Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson. Who knew they could live up to the excitement of their first battle? The fight was an action packed affair with…
The main event of UFC on FX 3 is a rematch of the highly-entertaining battle between flyweights Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson. Who knew they could live up to the excitement of their first battle?
The fight was an action packed affair with excellent movement, lots of kicks and some incredible striking.
Despite his biggest success coming on the ground in their first fight, McCall didn’t seem to want a battle on the canvas in the first round. He did go three for three on takedowns in the second round, but he couldn’t work his way into a dominant position.
The third round saw McCall slow while Johnson continued to show off his unparalleled cardio as he worked in and out to win the final round with quick combinations. The final frame decided the outcome of the bout, and it was a unanimous decision for Mighty Mouse.
Here’s what we learned from the bout.
What we’ll remember about this fight:
The incredible pace. The flyweight division is home to the fastest fighters in MMA, and our main event highlighted that characteristic. Johnson used great movement throughout the fight to keep McCall guessing, and his opponent continued to walk forward and press the action.
What we learned about Ian McCall:
That he is probably related to Anthony Johnson. McCall told the world on Friday afternoon that he had already rehydrated and was walking around at over 150 pounds–25 pounds heavier than when he hit the scales.
His cardio wasn’t as good this time around. The third round saw McCall look like he lost the spring in his step, while his opponent remained fresh. It is rare to see McCall get outworked, but when he faded, Mighty Mouse took advantage.
What we learned about Demetrious Johnson:
That his power is excellent for such a small guy. He would land a heavy shot between the eyes of McCall halfway through the first round and it put Uncle Creepy down. Although Johnson couldn’t capitalize the way he would have liked, it was nice to see him score the knockdown.
His diverse skills will prove to be invaluable in the newly created division. With lightning-fast combinations and some of the best head and foot movement in the sport, Johnson is hard to beat standing.
Johnson called McCall a better fighter than Dominick Cruz. Is that a jab at the man who beat him last year, or does he truly have that much respect for McCall and his abilities?
What’s next for McCall:
Perhaps a bout with Yasuhiro Urushitani. The semi-final losers can duke it out for an unofficial bronze medal. McCall is a popular fighter who has lots of charisma, so they’ll set him up with something winnable.
What’s next for Johnson:
The flyweight final against Joseph Benavidez. You might want to watch that battle in slow motion. Otherwise, you won’t be able to see what is going on.
With today’s announcement that the UFC has released 10 fighters, including former Ultimate Fighter winner Efrain Escudero, independent promoters must be salivating at the thought of adding former UFC stars to their upcoming events.
There was one name o…
With today’s announcement that the UFC has released 10 fighters, including former Ultimate Fighter winner Efrain Escudero, independent promoters must be salivating at the thought of adding former UFC stars to their upcoming events.
There was one name on the list hit me as surprising: former WEC competitor Jeff Curran.
Curran is a journeyman fighter who holds a respectable record of 33-15-1. Under the Zuffa umbrella, he has competed as a lightweight, featherweight and bantamweight, although he claims that his true home is in the newly established flyweight division.
Sure, Curran hasn’t torn up the bantamweight division. “Big Frog” went 0-2 in his most recent UFC run, and his final four fights in the WEC were losses. However, Curran was able to stay competitive against the best featherweights in the world, including Urijah Faber, Mike Brown, Joseph Benavidez and Takeya Mizugaki.
When you look at the terribly shallow roster pool of the UFC Flyweight division (11 fighters total), it seems odd that they would release a veteran who has competed against world-class fighters and is interested in making the transition.
Outside of the tournament fighters, the biggest star in the flyweight division is Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson, who has exactly two fights for any notable organizations. Can the UFC really afford to throw away talent at 125 pounds?
Considering that Curran squared off with such high level fighters in a weight class 20 pounds above his own, it is impressive that Faber was the only man able to finish him.
There are a few roses hidden beneath the thorns, however, as Curran was able to defeat notables Wagnney Fabiano, Rafael Assuncao and Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett throughout his career.
From a business aspect, you can look at Curran’s salary as another reason why he should remain on the roster. Garnering a mere $8,000 per fight (without locker room bonuses), a veteran like Curran was making the same as a lot of Ultimate Fighter losers and assorted promotional newcomers. If that low price tag is all it costs to help boost your weakest division, it’s an incredible bargain.
I’m not suggesting that Curran is a world-beater, or that he would ever become champion, but the guy has a name and the kind of experience that can only be earned through 14 years of grueling competitive MMA action. He would have made an excellent addition to the budding flyweight division and it’s a shame that he wasn’t given a chance to prove it.
Ian McCall is a relatively new name to the UFC, but has become very well-known from his first bout inside the Octagon against Demetrious Johnson. His highly controversial bout that was miscalculated by the judges has left McCall and Johnson with only o…
Ian McCall is a relatively new name to the UFC, but has become very well-known from his first bout inside the Octagon against Demetrious Johnson. His highly controversial bout that was miscalculated by the judges has left McCall and Johnson with only one solution: rematch. The two will face off again to determine Joseph Benavidez’s opponent for the inaugural UFC Flyweight championship title. Bleacher Report’s Gregory Chase spoke with Ian McCall on the aftermath of his fight, his background, and the man behind the mustache!
GC: UFC on FX 2 was a great night of fights, but the biggest story came from your bout with Demetrious Johnson. Quite a unique situation, how did you think the fight was playing out, going into the third round?
IM: Going into the third round, I thought it was one round to one. I thought I had won the first round and he won the second. You know, my coach said “You have to win this round,” so I went out there and did what I had to do, and I thought that was enough to win.
GC: Now after the event, there were videos of both you and Johnson being informed by Dana White of what had occurred with the scorecards. When he told you that what had happened, what was going through your head?
IM: I thought I was laughing to be honest with you! I really thought I was laughing, and then I watched the video and I was just staring at him. Maybe I was laughing on the inside [laughs], I’m not really sure! You know, I had a big **** eating grin on my face, and everyone keeps saying I just asked where my money was!
GC: Now you’ll have your chance to get a decisive win at the next UFC on FX event in June when you rematch Demetrious Johnson. In what ways are you preparing differently for the rematch?
IM: There’s not much difference. The gameplan is a little bit different, but not too much. We know where my strengths are against him, so we’re just kinda going to employ that stuff. You know, I wanna finish the fight. I like battles and stuff, but if I can really show my dominance and finish him, then that’s obviously what I want to do.
GC: Do you feel more confident in facing Johnson this time around, now that you know what his speed and style is like?
IM: Yeah. I was confident to begin with, I never doubted myself about the fight, but now I know that I am the better fighter than he is. I’m stronger, physically stronger, more aggressive; things like that. I know I can finish him, I know I can beat him up.
GC: So everyone is excited for this rematch, but because of the controversy, do you feel that you have gained a new level of popularity?
IM: Oh of course, you know, controversy does that. Any press is good press. So luckily I haven’t really gotten any bad press out of this. I think I’ve maybe heard one or two people say that he won out of however many thousand people. So I’m happy about it all.
GC: Let’s get to know Ian McCall a little better. Let’s start with the nickname “Uncle Creepy”. What’s the story behind that?
IM: My friend, his son calls me “Uncle Ian”, he just ended up calling me “Uncle Creepy” one night when I was trying to put him to bed. He wanted to play with a skateboard at like three in the morning, and he just called me Uncle Creepy and everybody heard. You know, I’m not a fan of nicknames. I think they’re stupid, but it’s one of those things where I always make fun of people with nicknames; especially people whom give their nickname to themselves. You know, if you give yourself a nickname, I already don’t like you.
GC: Now what got you into MMA? What drew you to it?
IM: I’ve been doing martial arts my whole life. I saw UFC 1, UFC 2, you know, all the ones I could see. If I didn’t see them live, I rented them. I just always wanted to do it. I liked fighting as a kid, it always interested me. I always got in fights as a kid. I think I was always a little quick to throw blows. I like fighting. If someone, when you were a kid, especially as small as I was; people always want to talk ****. It was like they didn’t expect me to be ready to fight at the drop of a hat. You know when little kids go back and forth and they just push each other…well if someone pushed me, I would punch them. I was never the kid who was getting into a shoving match. I was “Okay, you pushed me, I’m punching you in the mouth” [laughs]. Maybe that was just because it is what I was taught, but I still obviously enjoy it; it’s the ultimate test of MAN. It makes me feel good.
GC: The mustache is a symbol for you, why did you pick that style? And what does the Mrs. think of it?
IM: Oh, my wife hates it! But she knows it pays the bills. She knows that it pays my rents and she’s okay with it. It kinda just happened one day. You know, the nickname just happened, the mustache…I think I just grew a beard out, I was being lazy, I just grew out a huge beard. Then I just trimmed it, and it just ended up happening like that and I thought it was funny so I kept it. The joke turned into more than a joke, and now I can’t shave the freakin’ thing! People won’t let me!
GC: Now you are a father to an adorable baby girl, is that a future fighter in the making?
IM: No no no! [Laughs] She won’t be a fighter. I mean, maybe she’ll do a little bit of jiu-jitsu or something growing up just because she’s with me at the gym.
GC: Everlast did a promotion once where they asked people the question “What do you fight for? Finish the sentence, I fight for [blank].
IM: Man…I fight for my family. I fight for my wife, daughter, and my two dogs that I have to feed. That’s what I fight for.
GC: Now aside from fighting and rocking the mustache, what do you enjoy doing outside the Octagon? Any hobbies or interests?
IM: You know, I live fast. I like the beach, I grew up on the beach. I don’t surf as much anymore, but just being at the beach. Just being in the water is like church, man, you know….that’s holy ground. During training camp and stuff, I don’t go as much. But when it’s the summer time, especially now that I have a little girl, I go to the beach as much as possible.
GC: Now you have a few different tattoos, what are they and what do they mean?
IM: On my leg and my ribs it says “War” in Japanese, and I got three Japanese Gods of war on my side. On my leg it’s a snake, a Japanese snake with another God of war. Basically all my Japanese tattoos are war-based. And I’m sure I’ll connect my rib to my leg and my arm. Then on my chest I have “Capulet.” I’m a big Romeo and Juliet guy. Then I got the sacred heart from Romeo and Juliet on my chest. I got a new one on my hand that’s Shakespeare: “These violent delights have violent ends.” I just found out that it’s the same [laughs]…the girl says it in Twilight. I saw one of the Twilights for the first time last night and realized; yes, I have a twilight tattoo.
GC: Is that something you are saying in pride or disappointment?
IM: Kinda disappointment, like “Oh man, really?!….REALLY? No one told me that before I got it? [Laughs]
GC: As a fighter, I want to get your thoughts on the whole TRT, PED, any drug under the sun in MMA. What do you think of the whole Overeem situation for example?
IM: You know, I don’t think steroids give you an advantage in MMA at all. Like honestly, I don’t think they give you a tactical advantage. Being buff isn’t….you know…muscles are for ****ies. Like, I have low testosterone; I’ve gotten this far with low testosterone, I don’t’ really care. If someone wants to do that stuff and I’m going to fight them, I don’t care, they can do it all they want. You know, I think especially if someone is hurt, they should do it. You know, we’re here for entertainment; it’s our job to do what we have to do to recover as fast as possible so we can put on a show.
GC: Now because you have low testosterone, is TRT something you would consider?
IM: Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it. Obviously I have to go to the UFC about it. I don’t know, like I said, I’ve gotten this far without it…I don’t know if I need it. I just found out, not too long ago; before my last fight. I’m not too sure if I want to do it or what. I have to talk to my coaches and my doctors about it, and talk to the UFC about it too.
GC: Last thing, give me the official prediction for the highly anticipated rematch between Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall and Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. Who wins, what round, what method?
IM: Hmm…well….I’m going to win obviously. Third round, ground and pound. Just like last time, but I’ll finish him this time.
If UFC on FOX 3 showed us anything, it’s that the newly-created flyweight division might be the home of the most entertaining fighters in the sport today. After Louis Gaudinot and John Lineker got things warmed up early with a back-and-forth slug-…
If UFC on FOX 3 showed us anything, it’s that the newly-created flyweight division might be the home of the most entertaining fighters in the sport today.
After Louis Gaudinot and John Lineker got things warmed up early with a back-and-forth slug-fest, John Dodson and Tim Elliott took to the cage and blew the roof off of the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, during in the preliminary bouts on Fuel TV.
As great as the UFC flyweights already look, the division as a whole might be the most interesting in the sport for those who watch MMA promotions outside the UFC.
Given that the division has only been around for a few months now, the biggest MMA promotion in the world hasn’t quite reached the level of top-level talent consolidation in the flyweight division that they have in most of the other divisions.
Let’s take a look at where each of the top 10 flyweights in MMA currently compete.
If you watched last night’s fights on Fuel TV and Fox, a few things caught your eye. One, Nate Diaz is one bad dude. Two, the flyweights are the most excited dudes in sports. If you saw the battle between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall a few m…
If you watched last night’s fights on Fuel TV and Fox, a few things caught your eye. One, Nate Diaz is one bad dude. Two, the flyweights are the most excited dudes in sports. If you saw the battle between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall a few months ago at UFC on Fuel 2, then you sort of already knew the Flyweights were amazing and exciting, but last nights performances by John Dodson, Tim Elliott, and Louis Gaudinot gave everyone a new outlook on how fun this division is going to be.
So with that said, and the UFC 146 all heavyweight card on the horizon, it makes me think: what if the UFC had a card on FX or possibly even Fox that’s main card was five flyweight fights? Can you say exciting? Now, yes, the Flyweights are currently not very well known by many casual MMA fans, but what better way to display them than to hold a card like this?
The card could come around October and feature the flyweight championship fight between Joseph Benavidez and the winner of the Demetrious Johnson-Ian McCall II coming this summer. Also, feature a co-main event of the loser of Johnson/McCall against John Dodson to possibly determine the next flyweight championship contender.
Then, feel out the card by possibly booking a match-up with YasuhiroUrushitani and, if the UFC will go ahead and sign him, the previously ranked number one Flyweight Jussierda Silva. Round out the main card with two awesome matchups between Louis Gaudinot and Tim Elliott and a matchup between Chris Cariaso and Darren Uyenoyama.
That is just a card I through together for the sake of this article, but if that was the actual card, it would be the fastest paced main card in UFC history! And all them fighters I named, with the exception of da Silva, are already on the UFC roster, so imagined if they went out and signed some other top-ranked flyweights such as HaruoOchi, MamoruYamaguchi, Sean Santella, or Nam Jin Jo? It would make the card even better and all the fights would shake up the UFC flyweight title picture.
Although fans aren’t going crazy about the flyweights just yet, after a card like last night, fans want more and creating a card like this would without question leave fans wanting even more and give the flyweights the attention and respect they deserve without having to bring each one up one by one through the prelims.
Though the UFC’s flyweight eliminator tournament remains unfinished, there is little doubt who is poised to become the promotion’s inaugural 125-pound king.Joseph Benavidez entered the four-man tournament as a favorite and did nothing to shake the…
Though the UFC’s flyweight eliminator tournament remains unfinished, there is little doubt who is poised to become the promotion’s inaugural 125-pound king.
Joseph Benavidez entered the four-man tournament as a favorite and did nothing to shake the label when he obliterated Japanese standout, Yasuhiro Urushitani, at UFC on FX 2 this March.
Few expected Benavidez to falter in a match where he was so obviously the superior fighter, but the manner in which he handled his first-round adversary was impressive in spite of the expectations.
If there was any hope for Urushitani to pull out an unlikely victory, it had to come by strikes. Benavidez, however, beat his opponent to the punch. At just 0:11 of the second round, the California native splayed out his foe with a counter right hook that dashed the Japanese import’s hopes and placed Benavidez in the tournament finale.
Beating a fighter at his own game is by no means a new move in Benavidez’s repertoire. The Team Alpha Male product has made his mark in the sport by throwing hands with strikers and frustrating grapplers on the mat.
Miguel Torres and Wagnney Fabiano are two of the best grapplers the bantamweight division has to offer. Benavidez owns submission wins over both of them.
Eddie Wineland is regarded as one of the most dangerous strikers at 135 pounds. He fought Benavidez last summer and was able to keep the bout on the feet essentially the entire match. He suffered a decisive unanimous decision loss, along with about a gallon of blood and a properly functioning nasal passage.
Benavidez even gave bantamweight deity, Dominick Cruz, a run for his money. Twice. The second time the two squared off, “The Dominator” won a hotly contested split decision that featured extensive time in Cruz’s realm—on the feet.
Though he came up short against Cruz, Benavidez was able to establish himself as the second-best bantamweight on the planet, disposing of a bevy of top contenders and challenging one of the pound-for-pound greats to an extent no one has managed for years.
With the drop to flyweight, the UFC better start fitting his waist for a new belt.
The drop in weight class signifies a new era for Benavidez, one in which he has done away with physical disadvantages and shifted his focus from an old foe.
The most obvious advantage garnered by dropping in weight is that he will be bigger in comparison to the competition he faces. Though some of the newly minted division’s makeup will be comprised of other former bantamweights, Benavidez will be able to avoid some of the heftier 135ers. And, most importantly, he will avoid some of the taller and longer 135ers.
Benavidez stands at a diminutive 5’4″. At bantamweight, he regularly gave up three, four, five inches to opponents like Eddie Wineland and Dominick Cruz.
Right now, the tallest fighter in the UFC flyweight division is 5’5″. A nice divisional characteristic for a short fighter with a big right hook.
The next advantage Benavidez gains by dropping to 125 is that he avoids Cruz, the only man to defeat him at 135. Aside from his bouts with Cruz, Benavidez was able to weather a size disadvantage against world-class fighters. Now, he no longer has to worry about that either.
In fact, there is no champion, Cruz or otherwise, waiting to thwart the aspirations of Benavidez in the flyweight division.
When the time comes that there is a champion, it will be Benavidez himself. The American is a talented wrestler capable of controlling where a fight takes place and has the reserve skills of vicious submissions and powerful striking, rare in lower weight classes, in case he can’t play to his opponent’s weakness.
Both Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson are good wrestlers themselves—perhaps as good as Benavidez. McCall’s secondary attribute is his striking while Johnson’s is his grappling.
But here’s the thing: Benavidez is a better striker than McCall and a better grappler than Johnson.
Regardless of who joins Benavidez in the flyweight tournament finale, he will win. He can grind decisions, he has one-punch knockout power and submissions that have foiled top BJJ practitioners. He will win because he is better than either potential opponent at every aspect of fighting.
After he stakes his claim to the 125-pound throne, the UFC will have to bring in some more contenders. When that happens, Benavidez will beat them. All of them.
Nothing is sure in MMA so take this as the hyperbole it is—the only thing that may potentially separate Joseph Benavidez from the UFC flyweight title in the next five years is that he vacates his position.
If the prospect of once more challenging for the bantamweight crown becomes more appealing than dominating the flyweight division after awhile, perhaps we will see a different champion at 125 pounds. But a second flyweight champion will remain entirely contingent upon Benavidez choosing it.
Benavidez will become one of the most dominant champions the UFC has ever produced and will carve out a name for himself alongside Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Jose Aldo, Junior Dos Santos and Dominick Cruz as the one of the pound-for-pound best in mixed martial arts.
The main event of UFC on FX 3 is a rematch of the highly-entertaining battle between flyweights Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson. Who knew they could live up to the excitement of their first battle?