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.
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