Demetrious Johnson defended his UFC Flyweight Championship against John Dodson at UFC 191 in another technical masterpiece.
Mighty Mouse was never in any danger in this fight and showed he is the best flyweight on Earth. Dodson was never a factor in th…
Demetrious Johnson defended his UFC Flyweight Championship against John Dodson at UFC 191 in another technical masterpiece.
Mighty Mouse was never in any danger in this fight and showed he is the best flyweight on Earth. Dodson was never a factor in this fight. The only thing he got to showcase was his defensive wrestling. Other than that, he was just a warm body in front of Johnson.
It was another stellar performance from Johnson, who won via unanimous decision, but it’s a shame it wasn’t competitive. This is what we learned after another five rounds of technical greatness.
And still…
What We’ll Remember About the Fight
I hate to say this after another masterful performance by the flyweight champion, but nothing was memorable in this fight. That’s just the fact of the matter.
We will ultimately forget these two performances. We will only remember that Johnson won.
What We Learned About Dodson
Dodson was competitive in the first fight in January 2013 and almost walked away with the gold. We learned Saturday night that his time as a threat to Johnson has passed. Johnson has evolved past Dodson. There was nothing Dodson did to even remotely threaten the champ.
It was a classic performance that said, “I just do not want to be finished.”
Dodson is a great fighter, but he is not on Johnson’s level.
What We Learned About Johnson
I’m not positive that we learned it for the first time at UFC 191, but the showing confirmed Johnson is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.
Nearly everything he does is just picture-perfect. From a technical point of view, it’s fascinating to watch. Mighty Mouse is a case study of what high-level mixed martial arts looks like.
What’s Next for Dodson
After this domination, he will need several fights before challenging again. He needs to reset. The winner of September’s Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Chico Camus fight makes a lot of sense.
After losing to the champ in April, Horiguchi is in the same position as Dodson, and if Camus upsets Horiguchi, Camus will need a stiffer test, which Dodson represents. Either matchup makes sense for all fighters involved for where they stand in the division.
What’s Next for Johnson
It won’t be Henry Cejudo yet, but that’s the next fight for Johnson with legitimate intrigue.
The other contenders—Joseph Benavidez, Jussier Formiga and Ian McCall—are not interesting at this point. Johnson is simply better than them all and has proved it. Cejudo’s Olympic-caliber wrestling and big power make him a compelling test for Johnson. Until that fight happens, there isn’t a flyweight title tilt that piques our interest.
Paige VanZant continued her upward trend in the UFC with a third-round submission over Alex Chambers at UFC 191 on Saturday.
This bout seemed like a showcase fight from the moment it was booked, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it was sma…
Paige VanZant continued her upward trend in the UFC with a third-round submission over Alex Chambers at UFC 191 on Saturday.
This bout seemed like a showcase fight from the moment it was booked, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it was smart booking. VanZant is young (21) and needs a lot of improvement, and these fights help her achieve her potential while introducing her to a large audience.
Chambers landed some solid strikes in the clinch early but faded throughout the fight. VanZant was constantly attached to her in the clinch, landing shot after shot. Eventually, it was too much. Another win for VanZant puts pressure on the UFC to book her in a top-tier bout.
What We’ll Remember About the Fight
Pressure. Constant pressure.
VanZant constantly moved forward and put the pressure on Chambers. The Australian just could not handle it. VanZant did not do huge damage, but the totality of her offense eventually caught up to Astro Girl. The 21-year-old’s constant pressure was the difference.
What We Learned About VanZant
We learned that while she is a top-10 fighter in the UFC’s strawweight division, she is still a long way off from the top.
She has clear deficiencies in her game. Perhaps the biggest is that she doesn’t move her head off the center line. That is going to be a big issue against several of the folks ahead of her in the rankings. Skilled strikers such as Michelle Waterson will have greater success on the feet, and champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk would demolish her existence.
What We Learned About Chambers
I have been a harsh critic of Chambers. I have felt like she is a middling atomweight in the UFC’s strawweight division merely because of her appearance on The Ultimate Fighter. And that may still be true, but in her last two fights, she has shown good improvement as an all-around fighter.
She caught Kailin Curran in an armbar in a fun fight in May, and at UFC 191 she found success in the clinch against VanZant. She connected on several punches against her opponent early. She just couldn’t handle the pressure and eventually wilted.
What’s Next for VanZant
This has to be an excruciating decision for the UFC. It clearly has a lot invested in VanZant, and she clearly isn’t ready for anyone in the upper echelon. Yet, here she is with a four-fight win streak and in the top 10. She has to fight someone ranked.
The best choice may be Joanne Calderwood.
She has underperformed in the UFC and is ultimately one-dimensional. Stylistically, it is a good fight to test both women and one that VanZant could win in grinding fashion. It would avoid a mauling by someone in the top five while building the winner into a future contender.
What’s Next for Chambers
There is another atomweight in the UFC who is coming off a loss, and that’s Seo Hee Ham (who lost to Calderwood in December 2014). It would be another tough fight for Chambers but one where she is on par with her opponent in terms of size.
UFC 191 is underway.
The fight card features a flyweight title bout between champion Demetrious Johnson and challenger John Dodson. Saturday will mark the second time the flyweights square off, with Johnson owning a decision win over Dodson from 2013.
…
The fight card features a flyweight title bout between champion Demetrious Johnson and challenger John Dodson. Saturday will mark the second time the flyweights square off, with Johnson owning a decision win over Dodson from 2013.
Since their first contest Johnson has established himself as one of the most revered fighters on the planet. He has strung together five title defenses (running his total to six), earning three stoppages.
Dodson has been perfect as well, posting a 3-0 record since losing to Johnson. His latest victory came via decision over Zach Makovsky.
The co-main event of UFC 191 goes at the other end of the weight spectrum, where heavyweights Frank Mir and Andrei Arlovski will pair up. Arlovski has won five straight, including three since returning to the UFC. Mir enters with back-to-back victories in tow, both of which he earned in less than two minutes.
It’s rematch time at UFC 191, where Demetrious Johnson will clash with John Dodson in Las Vegas in a rematch of their classic encounter from 2013.
Johnson hasn’t experienced much in the way of competition since, ruling the flyweight division with an ir…
It’s rematch time at UFC 191, where Demetrious Johnson will clash with John Dodson in Las Vegas in a rematch of their classic encounter from 2013.
Johnson hasn’t experienced much in the way of competition since, ruling the flyweight division with an iron fist and elite submission skills. It’s been a rockier journey for Dodson, who dealt with a knee issue while clamoring for a rematch.
The headline act is a perfect topper on Saturday, but the promotion didn’t hold back in making the rest of the card must-see action, either.
Below, let’s take a look at the important info surrounding the event and make some calls on the top fights.
UFC 191 Viewing Info, Card and Predictions
Predicting Top Fights
Andrei Arlovski vs. Frank Mir
It seems one of the most obvious heavyweight bouts will unfold after years of it somehow not happening.
Frank Mir might be 36 years old, but he’s still chugging along. His four-fight skid is well in the rearview mirror after two wins. Still, one can’t help but feel like Mir will either get a title shot with a win here or fade in a bad way.
Arlovski’s story isn’t much different. He’s the same age as Mir, the exception being his undefeated mark in three UFC bouts. His last two fights have come as Round 1 wins, as have Mir’s.
For Mir, he sounded surprised the promotion didn’t put a longer build behind two guys with more than a decade of experience, similar stories and who are fighting to stay alive, if not gain a title shot.
I thought that this fight had so much history behind it that maybe the buildup would have been longer than six weeks. [Since] both of us represent the same qualities of persevering through adversity, I would have liked it if one of us had the title and one of us came up to challenge so many years later. I thought that would have been a much more interesting [story] than just kind of a hurried rush, with both of us at this point of our success.
A bigger buildup might have been nice, but either way, it won’t impact the action in the Octagon.
These two love to slug it out. Per UFC.com, Arlovski lands 3.19 significant strikes per minute to Mir’s 2.28. Mir continues to get better in this regard, though, no longer the sluggish, almost laughable upright heavyweight defender who would prefer to take it to the mat.
Still, Mir’s best shot is on the mat, but it won’t be easy for him to get there. Arlovski defends 85.7 percent of the takedowns thrown his way, and in an upright battle, he’s the pick, because he’s quicker and more devastating with the blows.
Prediction: Arlovski via KO.
Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson
It’s easy to point out Dodson’s road back from knee surgery, but he didn’t show much of an issue getting a unanimous decision against Zach Makovsky back in May at UFC 187.
In other words, he looks like the guy who caught Johnson and took him down in their first title match. He still looks like the guy who is the fastest at the weight behind Johnson, if not the one who packs the most power behind his punches.
Given the above, it’s understandable Dodson is confident going into the rematch.
“I will guarantee that I am going to come out there and do something that’s never been done,” Dodson said, per UFC.com’s Matt Parrino. “I’m going to stop Demetrious Johnson on Sept. 5.”
Still, when it comes down to prediction time, it’s hard to go against the champion. Just because Johnson seems to have had an easy go of it in his title defenses as of late doesn’t mean he isn’t improving.
In fact, he continues to look better by the bout, tempering his speed when necessary and using a methodical approach to win by the time the bell rings. His speed isn’t a crutch, as it might be for Dodson—it’s one talent in what is perhaps the most well-rounded package in the sport.
As such, look for Johnson to avoid the early match-ending strikes from his opponent, settle into a pace and win this one on the cards. So long as he avoids the early onslaught, he’s good for another title defense in what should be another classic.
Prediction: Johnson via decision.
Odds via Odds Shark.com as of September 3. Stats and info via UFC.com, unless otherwise specified.
The UFC will be placing its smallest division in the spotlight this Saturday night in Las Vegas, as flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson defends his belt against John Dodson. The fight is a rematch of their January 2013 clash, which Johnson took by un…
The UFC will be placing its smallest division in the spotlight this Saturday night in Las Vegas, as flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson defends his belt against John Dodson. The fight is a rematch of their January 2013 clash, which Johnson took by unanimous decision in the toughest defense of his reign.
The two are evenly matched physically, as the tale of the tape demonstrates:
Stylistically, both fighters are former wrestlers who have developed into well-rounded, mixed martial artists; although, in their first fight, Dodson appeared to have a slight edge standing and Johnson dominated the grappling aspect. Johnson had a clear advantage in conditioning in their last fight.
Even by flyweight standards, Johnson and Dodson are fast, at times showcasing almost cinematic speed and agility.
As a promoter, it’s Dana White‘s job to be enthusiastic about his product, but I have no trouble believing the glee expressed in his tweet earlier this week was 100 percent authentic:
This is a fight that promises to be exciting.
Odds Shark has the champion listed as a favorite at minus-600 with Dodson as a plus-450 underdog. The majority of predictions I’ve read or seen for this fight have appeared cautious and ambivalent about their ultimate pick.
ESPN’s Brett Okamotodeclared Mighty Mouse the better mixed martial artist, but ultimately was seduced by Dodson’s punching power and picked him to win via Round 3 KO. On MMA Live, ChaelSonnen acknowledged that Dodson was fully capable of stopping the champ and seizing the belt, but he ended up picking Johnson because he’s “a video game character who doesn’t know how to lose yet.”
Pointing out that Dodson has undergone ACL surgery since the exciting first fight between these two, Elias Cepeda of Fox Sports picked the champion to retain his belt with another decision victory.
On UFC Tonight, UFC veterans Brian Stann and Kenny Florian both chose Johnson to win:
Ultimately, Johnson is one of the elite champions in the history of the UFC. It’s very tough to pick against him when he’s facing a man he already beat, especially one who has had his knee repaired since the first bout.
But Dodson has rare power for a flyweight fighter and rocked Johnson badly twice in their first fight. Johnson is the favorite for a reason, but nobody should be shocked if Dodson pulls off the upset and walks away with the belt.
Demetrious Johnson is already one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. If he can beat John Dodson in their rematch at UFC 191, Johnson may make a strong case to be the pound-for-pound champion.Johnson and Dodson headline what should be a …
Demetrious Johnson is already one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. If he can beat John Dodson in their rematch at UFC 191, Johnson may make a strong case to be the pound-for-pound champion.
Johnson and Dodson headline what should be a solid card Saturday night. UFC 190 seemed to suffer from the sheer volume of fights, a problem that shouldn’t be the case with UFC 191, with 11 fights through the UFC Fight Pass preliminaries through the main card.
Below, you can read brief previews and predictions for each of the five main card fights.
UFC 191 Card
Main Card Predictions
Paige VanZant vs. Alex Chambers
This isn’t so much a fight as it is a vehicle to make Paige VanZant a bigger UFC star. Alex Chambers’ two fights in the company include a defeat to Aisling Daly at the Ultimate Fighter 20 finale and an unconvincing submission victory over Kailin Curran at UFC Fight Night 65.
VanZant should have little trouble putting Chambers away on Saturday, and that’s kind of the point. UFC is essentially building VanZant up to be the Ronda Rousey of the women’s strawweight division, a point VanZant briefly discussed on America’s Pregame:
The 21-year-old will come fast and furious at Chambers, and if her win over Curran is any evidence, that should concern Chambers after she took a ton of punishment before pulling out that armbar out of nowhere.
Maybe Chambers can pull off a similar shock, but this should be an easy win for VanZant.
Prediction: VanZant wins, Round 2 TKO
Jan Blachowicz vs. Corey Anderson
This fight will be a nice measure of Corey Anderson’s progression in the Octagon. The 25-year-old looks like a talented, promising fighter, but he’s coming off a TKO defeat to Gian Villante at UFC on Fox 18.
Jan Blachowicz is the favorite, which makes sense. He’s the far more experienced of the two and looks to be the superior overall fighter as well, at least by what we’ve seen from Anderson so far.
With that said, Anderson should be able to pull off the upset. He’s a patient fighter who will wait for his opportunities to get an advantage on Blachowicz. If he can work the clinch and get Blachowicz down on the mat, Anderson should do enough to convince the judges.
Prediction: Anderson wins, split decision
Anthony Johnson vs. JimiManuwa
No matter what happens, this fight should be a ton of fun. Three of Anthony Johnson’s last four wins have come by knockout or TKO, while 13 of JimiManuwa‘s 15 career mixed martial arts victories were over in knockout fashion as well.
“He’s a beast,” Johnson said of his opponent, per Michael Martinez for UFC.com. “He has great power and good stand-up. He’s not afraid to stand there and bang. To me, that’s what makes this fight so entertaining, because everybody knows I’m going to try and knock your head off and he’s trying to do the same thing. We’re just guns blazing.”
Because of his punch power, you can’t completely dismiss Manuwa‘s chances. All it takes is a split-second for Johnson to let his guard down and get caught with a heavy blow that sends him to the mat.
Still, Johnson is the more complete fighter, and his wrestling ability could be the difference in the outcome.
Prediction: Johnson wins, unanimous decision
Andrei Arlovski vs. Frank Mir
Who doesn’t love watching two grizzled veterans throw caution to the wind, especially with a potential title shot up for grabs?
Both Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir have everything to gain Saturday night. They sit fourth and 10th, respectively, in the heavyweight rankings. They’re also each 36 years old, so the loser of this fight may never be this close to title contention again for the rest of his career.
While Mir is coming off back-to-back KO victories in his last two fights, he still relies more heavily on his submission game. Not to mention he continues to struggle when needing to go into defense mode.
That could spell trouble against a fighter like Arlovski. “The Pit Bull” is a very good striker and should end the fight in relatively short order.
Prediction: Arlovski wins, Round 2 TKO
Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson
In a three-round fight, John Dodson might have a chance to upset Demetrious Johnson. Over five rounds, Dodson will have a hard time hanging with Johnson from start to finish. The longer the fight goes, the better off Johnson will be.
Fighting Johnson is a lot like fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. You have a window of opportunity in the first round or two, and once you get past that threshold, you’re pretty much toast.
Dodson may own the advantage in Rounds 1 and 2, but Johnson’s methodical, deliberate style will pay off in the long run. As long as Johnson doesn’t completely fall on his face in the fifth round, he will be the judges’ choice.
Far more interesting about this fight is the future of the flyweight division in general. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden foresees a time when UFC does away with flyweights—at least temporarily:
With Johnson at the helm, the 125-pound division has failed to make it out of the blocks to the point a source at UFC says there have been whispers at headquarters about simply shutting the flyweight class down and sending everybody in it back to the house. It wouldn’t be unprecedented. When the lightweight class led by B.J. Penn failed to take flight, Zuffa got rid of it for a time. The same thing absolutely could happen with flyweights.
Perhaps a thrilling fight between Johnson and Dodson could energize fans behind the division.
Demetrious Johnson defended his UFC Flyweight Championship against John Dodson at UFC 191 in another technical masterpiece.