Exposure is a big part of success in professional sports. Many times we’ve seen athletes who are capable of being stars not reach the highest level of stardom in their sports due to the lack of exposure they receive during the high point of their competitive performance. The UFC as a whole still needs to garner more mainstream coverage, but even within the organization, its collection of flyweights are struggling to grab their respective portions of the spotlight. And yet, next week they will have another opportunity to shine, as they close the show at UFC on Fox 8.
At the top of the card, Demetrious Johnson will defend his 125-pound title for the second time this year when he faces John Moraga. Now both of these fighters could walk into your local Hooters while a UFC event is on the screen, and there is a chance that no one would know who they were. However, they have the potential to put on the type of main event that could capture the attention of fans and media alike.
Moraga is a flyweight fighter who went from competing in two opening bouts on Facebook against Ulysses Gomez and Chris Cariaso to headlining a fight card on the Fox network. Moraga is a moderately well-known fighter amongst hardcore MMA watchers, but one would be hard-pressed to find people who know who he is within mainstream fandom. He has a diverse attack that has proven to be able to stop fighters via submission or knockout. With a record of 13-1, his only loss comes against the previous flyweight title challenger, John Dodson, back in 2010.
“Mighty Mouse” is the smallest champion in the UFC but he brings a big fight just like his championship colleagues. His back and forth fight against Dodson, where he had to recover from being dropped multiple times, was much more exciting than fans would have expected going in. The same is true for his fight with Joseph Benavidez back in 2012. He may not have the respect as a fighter that he deserves, but Johnson is pound-for-pound, one of the best in the promotion, and has proven so time and time again.
Moraga vs. Johnson looks to be a quick-paced fight from start to finish. Expect 25 minutes of Johnson moving in and out on the feet, while Moraga looks for the key takedown that will set up his high-level submission skills. The opening two rounds are very important, as Moraga will need to find a way to get the fight to the ground quickly and slow Johnson down. Benavidez had Johnson in a very dangerous choke late in their title fight, but he was able to slide his way out to keep the high-paced party going. Moraga is a more accomplished grappler, and has the submission abilities to be able to finish a fight from that position; however, the question is whether he can get Johnson to the ground.
Another important aspect of this fight to watch out for is whether Johnson employs his ground and pound. Back when he fought Miguel Torres in 2011, his relentlessness with takedowns and ground and pound made all the difference in their hotly-contested decision. Ground and pound has proven effective against grapplers, but that doesn’t mean fighters can’t be caught by grapplers of a high level.
While the entire UFC on Fox 8 card is solid from top to bottom, the main event is the most intriguing fight of the night. Yes, the athletes in the fight do not have the large followings of those in the co-main fight. Still, keep your eye on John Moraga and Demetrious Johnson, as they have the potential to put on a bout worth mentioning when the “Fight of the Year” conversations come up, and to push the flyweight division to the forefront of the fans’ interest in the second half of the year, and into 2014.
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UFC on Fox 8 is due to take place on July 27, 2013 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington.
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