The UFC 186 main event of Demetrious Johnson and Kyoji Horiguchi served to remind us of one fact: Mighty Mouse is easily the best flyweight on the planet.
Horiguchi had his moments in the bout. A well-timed knee in the first round appeared to catch Johnson as he was shooting for a double leg. The second frame actually opened with the Japanese challenger scoring a takedown.
But Johnson made sure those moments of success were fleeting for his opponent. Like just about every one of Mighty Mouse's opponents, Horiguchi couldn't keep up with Johnson's frenetic pace and well-rounded skills. Johnson battered him for four rounds and waited till literally the last second to sink in a vicious armbar that ended things.
ESPN Stats & Info noted the record-setting nature of the win for Mighty Mouse:
Although the final result was expected, there were still some things to take away from the bout going forward. Here's a look at what we learned about these two fighters and the division at UFC 186.
Demetrious Johnson Is What He Is
Johnson's place in the MMA hierarchy is an interesting question to analyze. On one hand, he's a technical marvel. His ability to seamlessly blend the various aspects of MMA with perfect speed and fluidity is almost unrivaled.
If you're looking for flash, it's nearly nonexistent. Take it or leave it, that's who Johnson is.
Johnson's win over Horiguchi was the quintessential Mighty Mouse performance. Over the course of five rounds, he showcased his striking, clinch game and ground work before ultimately getting the finish.
Still, Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie observed the negative reaction from fans during Johnson's fight:
The lingering question of whether Johnson can become a draw has surrounded his championship run. At this point, it's safe to say that his style of fighting isn't going to change. There are going to be those who love to watch him for his technical prowess and dominance, while there will still be those who simply can't get behind his brand of fighting.
Ultimately, there isn't much more Johnson can do to earn fans' respect. He is simply an efficient fighter who will likely hold his title for at least a few more defenses.
This Isn't the Last You'll See of Kyoji Horiguchi
Believe it or not, there will come a day when Johnson is no longer the champion of the flyweight division. That's hard to believe after the performance he just put on, but it's an inevitable truth. The 28-year-old is still in his prime now, but eventually, the field has to catch up.
And when it does, Horiguchi just might one of the men to hold that title.
The 24-year-old entered this bout woefully underprepared to take on someone with the ability and cardio of Johnson. The challenger even related this much to Damon Martin of Fox Sports in the lead-up to the fight:
Horiguchi was ultimately right. This wasn't the best timing for him to fight for the title. After all, the four opponents he has beaten in the UFC have two wins among them. However, the effort wasn't a lost cause. The Kid Yamamoto-trained fighter impressed some in the early in the fight, including Fox Sports:
It wasn't much, obviously. This was still a comfortable win for Johnson. Horiguchi is far from a finished product, though. Many of his issues could be attributed to technique. He moved away from throwing knees to more looping strikes that allowed Johnson to change levels without fear of repercussions.
Expect Horiguchi to climb the ladder after a few fights and be back to face Johnson in the distant future.
Mighty Mouse is Running Out of Opponents
The idea that a division is "cleaned out" is not true. There's usually at least one more contender waiting in the wings. The statement might be true for the flyweight division, though.
After another dominant win for Johnson, he now holds a win over five of the Top Seven in his division, according to the UFC rankings on fight night.
With Johnson already struggling to earn the interest of the casual fan, a lack of a true rival is another detriment to his appeal. The UFC does still have a few options, though.
A rematch of his five-round unanimous decision win over John Dodson could be intriguing. Dodson's speed made him an interesting challenger in January 2013. Wins over Darrell Montague and John Moraga have once again made him the No. 1 contender.
The other option—who might much like Horiguchi might not be ready yet—is Henry Cejudo. The former Olympic gold medalist is 2-0 in the UFC with wins over Chris Cariaso and Dustin Kimura. Brian Hemminger of the MMA Oddscast noted just how close Cejudo might already be to a title shot:
It might seem like a long shot that someone with as little experience as Cejudo has a shot at upending Mighty Mouse, but that's just how far ahead of the curve he is as a champion. His greatest challenges might still be a year or two away.
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