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:
| Per ESPN.com | Demetrious Johnson | John Dodson |
| Record: | 22-2-1 | 17-6 |
| Wins by KO: | 4 | 8 |
| Wins by Submission: | 9 | 2 |
| Height: | 5'3" | 5'3" |
| Weight: | 125 lbs | 125 lbs |
| Reach: | 66" | 66" |
| Age: | 29 | 30 |
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 Okamoto declared 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, Chael Sonnen 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.
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