Demetrious Johnson is on a path to MMA greatness.
On Saturday, the 125-pound champion will look to record a fourth consecutive UFC title defense in the UFC 174 main attraction. Standing opposite Mighty Mouse will be up-and-coming Russian flyweight Ali …
On Saturday, the 125-pound champion will look to record a fourth consecutive UFC title defense in the UFC 174 main attraction. Standing opposite Mighty Mouse will be up-and-coming Russian flyweight Ali Bagautinov.
In his first three UFC appearances, Bagautinov has posted a 3-0 record. He might be the best wrestler Johnson will have faced at 125 pounds, but Bagautinov will be taking a noticeable step up in competition this weekend.
Before the elite featherweights step into the Octagon, a number of ranked UFC fighters will look to inch closer to their own title shots. Rory MacDonald, Tyron Woodley, Ryan Bader and Rafael Cavalcante are among those notable fighters who will also appear on Saturday.
As always, Riley Kontek, Scott Harris, James MacDonald, Craig Amos and Sean Smith are here to make semi-educated guesses on the headlining fights. Here are our UFC 174 main card predictions.
The race for the next title shot in the welterweight division is rolling full throttle, and Rory MacDonald is within striking distance of championship gold…even if that particular picture isn’t necessarily clear at the current time.
Over the pa…
The race for the next title shot in the welterweight division is rolling full throttle, and Rory MacDonald is within striking distance of championship gold…even if that particular picture isn’t necessarily clear at the current time.
Over the past four years, the talented young Canadian has blazed his way through the competitive ranks of the welterweight fold—a weight class that is widely considered to be the most talent-rich division under the UFC banner—and established himself as one of the top 170-pound fighters on the planet.
Throughout that run, “Ares” has transitioned from highly touted prospect to legitimate title contender and built solid momentum toward earning a shot at the welterweight throne.
While there have been setbacks along the way, the 24-year-old has always rebounded strong and continued his climb up the divisional ladder. When a last-minute flurry by Carlos Condit led to the first loss of his professional career at UFC 115 back in 2010, the FirasZahabi-trained fighter returned to the Octagon with vigor, as he rattled off five consecutive victories over top-notch competition.
That streak would bring him into the upper tier of the welterweight division, but that run would come to an end via split decision to Robbie Lawler at UFC 167 last November. Nevertheless, he quickly returned to the win column on the heels of an impressive performance in which he defeated Demian Maia in his next outing four months later.
Despite dropping the first round to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace, MacDonald stormed back with ferocity and dominated the final two rounds of the fight. The win over Maia was a crucial victory at an important time and immediately put MacDonald back on the title radar at 170 pounds.
“I felt relaxed in the opening round against Maia,” MacDonald told Bleacher Report. “I felt good on the ground and held good position. He wasn’t able to do anything on the ground, and I was confident going into the second and third rounds that I was going to dominate the rest of the fight.
“Demian is a strong grappler and a strong starter, but I was very confident at the end of the first round. From there, I tried to do as much damage as I possibly could all over his body, and I got the victory.
“I just try to react to what my opponent is doing out there. If you watch the fight, I was throwing hard punches and connected on several at the very beginning. It was an explosive start to the fight.”
He will be looking to keep his momentum rolling in his next bout when he steps into the Octagon to face TyronWoodley at UFC 174 this Saturday night in Vancouver, B.C.
The co-main event showdown between the two top welterweights was initially figured to determine the next title contender in the division, but the resurgences of Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown—and their upcoming bout at UFC on Fox 12 next month—have thrown uncertainty into that particular equation.
Those circumstances have created a four-way race to become the next No. 1 contender, where it is possible the most impressive performance of the pack will earn the right to face champion Johny Hendricks.
That said, MacDonald isn’t concerning himself with what he believes is beyond his control. In his mind, those decisions will fall on the UFC, and all he can do is continue to win. And that is exactly what he plans on doing against Woodley at UFC 174.
“I have no clue,” MacDonald said in regard to where the next title shot will fall. “I’ve been trying to focus on putting on the best performances of my career, and I believe the rest will take care of itself. I have no power or control over that decision. The UFC and fans know I’m aiming at the title and Johny Hendricks. Right now, I’m focused on having a great performance against Woodley.
“It’s a good stylistic matchup. He is a very good athlete. He’s an explosive puncher and wrestler, and it is going to be a very interesting style to work against. I’m very excited to get in there with him.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise
The UFC has arrived in Vancouver with UFC 174, headlined by the flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Ali Bagautinov.
The exciting main event is backed up by local favorite Rory MacDonald vs. Tyron Woodley and the return of former heavyw…
The UFC has arrived in Vancouver with UFC 174, headlined by the flyweight title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Ali Bagautinov.
The exciting main event is backed up by local favorite Rory MacDonald vs. Tyron Woodley and the return of former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski going up against Brendan Schaub. And it also features a top-15 light heavyweight battle between Ryan Bader and Rafael Cavalcante.
That’s just the main card. UFC 174 gives you one more on the main card, and six preliminary bouts. Join us here at B/R tomorrow for complete UFC 174 coverage.
The UFC is back this weekend, heading back to its roots of the pay-per-view model. UFC 174, which is headlined by a flyweight title bout between Demetrious Johnson and Ali Bagautinov, comes live from Vancouver, Canada on Saturday night.
The card is sta…
The UFC is back this weekend, heading back to its roots of the pay-per-view model. UFC 174, which is headlined by a flyweight title bout between Demetrious Johnson and Ali Bagautinov, comes live from Vancouver, Canada on Saturday night.
The card is stacked on the pay-per-view portion. However, the prelims are also full of great prospects and established vets who should entertain.
UFC Fight Night 42 was good for 2014’s record, as we continue to push further beyond the .500 mark. UFC 174 should be tougher to pick, but hopefully we can continue this upward trend.
Without further ado, let’s make some prelim predictions for UFC 174.
Little guys have to work extra hard for respect. Call it unfair, but call it reality. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is experiencing this firsthand as he has all but dominated every opponent since moving to the division. …
Little guys have to work extra hard for respect. Call it unfair, but call it reality. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is experiencing this firsthand as he has all but dominated every opponent since moving to the division.
Still, he’s one of the least popular champions in the promotion.
The technically sound speed merchant will put his talents on display and title on the line Saturday night at UFC 174 in Vancouver. His opponent is the relative newcomer from Russia, Ali Bagautinov. This will only be Bagautinov’s fourth fight in the UFC.
Those two will main event the festivities.
Since this is the last UFC event before the EA Sports UFCvideo game releases on June 17, Mighty Mouse will have the perfect mouthpiece for the occasion.
Expect a ton of promos for the game during the event. Move over, Metro PCS.
The Johnson-Bagautinov bout will be supported by a strong undercard filled with recognizable names and faces. Here’s a look at the full card with predictions, start times and viewing information for the entire event. Below the table is a closer look at the three biggest bouts on the card.
Mighty Mouse’s Speed Will Be Too Much for Bagautinov
While the challenger has ample power to stop anyone in the flyweight division, you can’t hit what you can’t catch.
Johnson’s speed and defensive acumen are what make him one of the best fighters in the world. Bagautinov has never faced an opponent this fast and technically sound. He has a puncher’s chance (no pun intended), but don’t expect anything more than a dominant five-round display from the champion in a successful title defense.
Once that’s done, perhaps he’ll rematch with John “The Magician” Dodson. The ultra-explosive Dodson gave Johnson his most competitive fight back in Jan. 2013.
Earlier this month, Dodson stopped John Moraga to maintain his status as a top contender. Dodson believes the UFC is protecting Johnson, but he still sees himself as Mighty Mouse’s ultimate conqueror. Dodson told Marc Raimondi of Fox Sports:
They can keep on giving Demetrious Johnson whoever they want to make him look like a better champion, make him look like he can be a spectacular fighter and cement his name in that division. It’s gonna make me look better when I knock him out.
That is indeed an interesting bout, but Johnson must take care of business on Saturday first.
Woodley’s Speed and Explosiveness Will Overwhelm MacDonald
This is a very difficult bout to predict because MacDonald has a three-inch height advantage and is the more technical striker, while Woodley is the quicker, stronger, more explosive fighter.
Woodley has fight-changing power and explosion. He has proven himself to be a solid wrestler too. His strength and quick-twitch athleticism are tough to game-plan for.
MacDonald will have a difficult time adjusting to the ground Woodley can cover. This will cost him dearly.
At times, MacDonald can be too technical and robotic. In this fight, Woodley’s speed will take away MacDonald’s ability and time to react and counter. A big punch will put him in peril, while ground-and-pound will lead to a finish and victory for Woodley.
Bader’s Wrestling Dominance Will Lead Him to Victory
Though Cavalcante hails from Team Nogueira, a squad noted for its grappling prowess, he isn’t as good on the ground as Bader.
This fight might look similar to Bader’s bout with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Cavalcante isn’t as helpless on the mat as Rampage, but once Bader gains top position, Feijao will be at Darth’s mercy.
This is a good matchup for Bader in a fight he must win to continue to be considered a serious contender at light heavyweight.
UFC 174 marks the UFC’s return to pay-per-view this weekend. It also marks the return of a former UFC champion, one of the best heavyweights in MMA history.
Andrei Arlovski returns to the promotion after stints with Strikeforce and World Series of Figh…
UFC 174 marks the UFC’s return to pay-per-view this weekend. It also marks the return of a former UFC champion, one of the best heavyweights in MMA history.
Andrei Arlovski returns to the promotion after stints with Strikeforce and World Series of Fighting to take on Brendan Schaub. It is a fight that fans will be paying close attention to, as Arlovski is popular and Schaub is an ever-improving fighter.
How do these fighters match up? Let’s take a look at this fight from top to bottom.
The race for the next title shot in the welterweight division is rolling full throttle, and Rory MacDonald is within striking distance of championship gold…even if that particular picture isn’t necessarily clear at the current time.