This Saturday the Ultimate Fighting Championship is looking to keep their momentum going with another solid show on the flagship Fox network. The card has been built around a number of interesting fights, including Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone and Glover Teixeira vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. However, the main event of UFC on Fox 6 represents the most intriguing bout, as Demetrious Johnson will be defending his newly-won flyweight title against number one contender John Dodson.
John Dodson took the perfect route towards getting to his title shot against “Mighty Mouse.” Back in 2011, Dodson needed less than two minutes to defeat T.J. Dillashaw and become the champion of the 14th season of the Ultimate Fighter. The series that once produced a number of top contenders has gone a long time since developing a true number one contender. Nate Diaz won the fifth season of the show, but he would have to wait five years before getting a shot at the lightweight title. Dodson took his plaque and stormed right to the top of a new weight class.
Waiting for him is a fighter that many people were shocked to see crowned the first 125-pound champion. Demetrious Johnson had to get through Ian McCall twice and then outlast Joseph Benavidez before getting his first opportunity to hold a UFC belt. This matchup against Dodson is very interesting because many experts believe that Johnson is better at everything Dodson does well, but they also said this about Benavidez when he fought against Demetrious.
Dodson is riding a five-fight win streak that dates back nearly three years. At 14-5, he’s faced some prominent names across the flyweight and bantamweight divisions, including Mike Easton and Yasuhiro Urushitani, both of whom were able to defeat him. His win over Jussier Formiga last October is his biggest win to date heading into this championship bout.
When looking at Johnson vs. Dodson, it’s clear that this bout is going to be contested at a high pace. It seems as both fighters are running on batteries every time they enter the Octagon, moving about in many different directions. Johnson seems to have the advantage when it comes to striking and wrestling, but that doesn’t mean Dodson wouldn’t be able to catch him with a powerful shot, as 6 of his 14 wins have come via a version of knockout. It will be interesting to see who gets the better of exchanges in close quarters and during scrambles, because both fighters like to keep the contest in close, and we’ve seen the damage that Johnson can do when exiting the clinch and during grappling opportunities.
Demetrious Johnson’s first title defense against John Dodson is the main event, and though it hasn’t gotten the full-blown attention that a main event title bout should have, it is going to be a hotly contested fight from start to finish. With a headlining spot on a Fox show during a big weekend, it looks to be a strong showcase for the flyweight division, which is in desperate need of exposure.
