Two of the more intriguing current champions in the UFC will both be in action next month at UFC 215. The event features Demetrious Johnson defending his flyweight title against Ray Borg as “Mighty Mouse” chases history. With a win over Borg, Johnson will pass Anderson Silva for most consecutive title defenses in the promotion […]
Two of the more intriguing current champions in the UFC will both be in action next month at UFC 215. The event features Demetrious Johnson defending his flyweight title against Ray Borg as “Mighty Mouse” chases history. With a win over Borg, Johnson will pass Anderson Silva for most consecutive title defenses in the promotion […]
T.J. Dillashaw’s views of Ray Borg’s title shot remain unchanged. On Sept. 9, Demetrious Johnson will defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight title against Borg. The UFC initially wanted “Mighty Mouse” to defend his gold against Dillashaw. Instead, Dillashaw will wait to get his bantamweight title shot against Cody Garbrandt. During a recent media session, […]
T.J. Dillashaw’s views of Ray Borg’s title shot remain unchanged. On Sept. 9, Demetrious Johnson will defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight title against Borg. The UFC initially wanted “Mighty Mouse” to defend his gold against Dillashaw. Instead, Dillashaw will wait to get his bantamweight title shot against Cody Garbrandt. During a recent media session, […]
The upcoming UFC 214 pay-per-view event is coming together nicely, as news has arrived that the card will feature two title fights from Rogers Place in Edmonton on Saturday, September 9. TSN Sports confirmed that dominant flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will headline the card against No. 3-ranked challenger Ray Borg, while women’s bantamweight champion Amanda […]
The upcoming UFC 214 pay-per-view event is coming together nicely, as news has arrived that the card will feature two title fights from Rogers Place in Edmonton on Saturday, September 9.
TSN Sports confirmed that dominant flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will headline the card against No. 3-ranked challenger Ray Borg, while women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will meet Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event. Nunes and Shevchenko were supposed to fight in the main event of July 8’s UFC 213, but chronic sinusitis forced “The Lioness” out of the bout until it was recently rescheduled.
UFC President Dana White has said Nunes would not headline the card featuring here rescheduled rematch with “Bullet,” and this time, he’s apparently kept his word after saying the same thing about Jon Jones after he was unceremoniously removed from his UFC 200 main event against Daniel Cormier last year, but booking the same fight for the main event of July 29’s UFC 214 anyway.
White said he had smoothed things over with Nunes regardless:
“(Nunes) and I talked, she was a little upset about the situation that I said she was medically cleared to fight,” said White. “Her and I talked about it and I think we’re in a good place now.”
Mark J. Rebilas for USA TODAY Sports
There’s also some controversy surrounding Johnson’s next fight after the consensus pound-for-pound best fighter in the world refused to fight former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw for the 125-pound belt in his next fight, in which he will attempt to break Anderson Silva’s record for most UFC title defenses.
White expressed dismay at not being able to book that fight:
“It’s unfortunate, I think (Johnson vs. Dillashaw) would have been a great title fight,” White told TSN. “It would have been a fight that a lot of people would have wanted to see, but it is what it is.”
In any case, two title fights are headed for September’s UFC 215, and on paper, it definitely presents an interesting event with the world’s most dominant fighter facing a young, up-and-coming contender who is one of the very few legit challengers in his division, while Nunes and Shevchenko will rematch barring any setbacks in a fight that will certainly showcase the evolution of the women’s bantamweight division in the years post-Ronda Rousey.
Photo by Ron Chenoy for USA TODAY Sports
But there’s a few other aspects of the event that don’t offer as much promise, and that’s the fact that the UFC has chosen to book Johnson in a pay-per-view event the day numbers arrived that UFC 213, which was set to ironically feature Nunes, did some of the lowest pay-per-view buys in a decade, with “Mighty Mouse’s” PPV title defenses the only card selling so dismally.
In a month sure to feature the hangover of the all-out circus that Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor will most definitely present on August 26, perhaps the UFC thought they should save bigger names able to carry a pay-per-view card for more anticipated events later in the year.
Thus far this year, however, not many UFC stars have proven they can do that. Will Johnson and Nunes combine to help lift the UFC out of the ratings gutter, or will the card deliver the same low ratings they’ve traditionally delivered?
T.J. Dillashaw feels he deserved a flyweight title shot over Ray Borg despite never having a 125-pound bout. Dillashaw and Demetrious Johnson were linked to a flyweight title bout, but it never materialized. “Mighty Mouse” wasn’t happy with how he was treated in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), so he decided not to take the […]
T.J. Dillashaw feels he deserved a flyweight title shot over Ray Borg despite never having a 125-pound bout. Dillashaw and Demetrious Johnson were linked to a flyweight title bout, but it never materialized. “Mighty Mouse” wasn’t happy with how he was treated in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), so he decided not to take the […]
After a series of very public fueds between UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and president Dana White, it appears as if “Mighty Mouse” will get what he wants, but at the expense of his popularity, according to White. While White and the UFC tried to put together a so-called super fight between Johnson and former […]
After a series of very public fueds between UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and president Dana White, it appears as if “Mighty Mouse” will get what he wants, but at the expense of his popularity, according to White.
While White and the UFC tried to put together a so-called super fight between Johnson and former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw, “Mighty Mouse” was adamant about facing Ray Borg, who he felt had earned a title shot.
“You want Ray Borg, we’ll give you Ray Borg,” White told MMA Junkie. “I’m sure the fans will be clamoring, and ticket sales will be through the roof and pay-per-views will be off the charts.”
“I’m not thrilled with Demetrious Johnson,” White said. “You’re the pound-for-pound best in the world, T.J. Dillashaw challenges you – one of the best in the world, former world champion – and you flat out deny the fight, flat out say, ‘I won’t do it. I want Ray Borg.’
“Who wouldn’t want to see Demetrious Johnson vs. T.J. Dillashaw? Dillashaw calling me every day: ‘I’m cutting weight. I’m cutting weight. I’m dieting. I’m training. I’m cutting weight. Do I got the fight? Do I got the fight?’ Ask T.J. Dillashaw next time you see him or you interview him. Calling me every day, chomping at the bit for the fight. You expect the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world to go, ‘Let’s do it.’”
White and Johnson have gone back and forth in the media regarding the Dillashaw fight, but it appears that the often brash UFC president has given up on trying to make that fight happen.
“Mighty Mouse” very rarely defends his belt on pay-per-view, rather the lack of popularity of Johnson and his weight division in general usually force the UFC to put his title defenses on free FOX cards.
Of course, White’s point was to make him more popular with a fight against a former champ and well-known fighter in Dillashaw, but Johnson stuck to his guns and instead will likely fight Borg, the number five ranked flyweight.
Ulka Sasaki already has his next move planned out. Yesterday (June 17), Sasaki took on Justin Scoggins inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore at UFC Fight Night 111. Sasaki earned a second-round submission victory. After the fight, Sasaki told the media that his opponent put up more of a fight than he anticipated […]
Ulka Sasaki already has his next move planned out. Yesterday (June 17), Sasaki took on Justin Scoggins inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore at UFC Fight Night 111. Sasaki earned a second-round submission victory. After the fight, Sasaki told the media that his opponent put up more of a fight than he anticipated […]
