Demetrious Johnson is one of the most exciting fighters in mixed martial arts.
The Kirkland, Wash., resident is 9-1-1 over the past four years. He has won five consecutive fights. He has established himself as a dominant champion in his division, one capable of one-punch knockouts, slick submissions holds, or going all 25 minutes when needed.
Yet he still has his share of detractors, for one simple reason: Johnson lords over the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lightest men's division, flyweight. And the haters seem to think a 5’3”, 125-pounder can't develop into a draw, no matter how big the size of the fight in the dog.
"I don't even hear the critics anymore," said Johnson, whose 11 fights with UFC parent company Zuffa over the past four years makes him most active fighter on the company's 500-fighter roster. "Yeah, I'm not tall. Doesn't mean I can't fight."
Whether he hears detractors or not, he'll have a chance to prove them wrong Saturday night (Sunday, PHL time), as he headlines one of the UFC's marquee pay-per-view events for the first time. Johnson (19-2-1) will defend his championship against Dagestan's Ali Bagautinov (15-2) in the main event of UFC 174 in Vancouver.
For his part, Johnson says he's not too worried about the platform, as long as there's a cage in the arena when he gets there.
"It's just another fight," Johnson said. "It's on pay-per-view and that's cool, but I don't care if it's pay-per-view or on FOX or on cable. Just another fight, to me."
Johnson experienced success as an undersized bantamweight (135 pounds) before the UFC instituted a 125-pound class in 2012, with his only loss in the past four years a decision against then-bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz.
Since then, the fighter known as "Mighty Mouse" has found his groove at 125. He won the inaugural title in Sept. 2012 by defeating Joseph Benavidez. The UFC has attempted to maximize his exposure, with some encouraging results. His first title defense, a decision win over John Dodson in Jan. 2013, peaked at 5.2 million viewers, one of the UFC's strongest numbers in three years on FOX. His most recent defense, a first-round knockout in a rematch against Benavidez, drew a near-sellout crowd of 11,573 to Sacramento's Sleep Train Arena in December.
Inside the industry, Johnson's gotten respect for his well-rounded talents. He ranks fourth in the current MMAFighting.com pound-for-pound poll, behind UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, longtime featherweight champ Jose Aldo Jr., and heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez.
Saturday, the 27-year old's latest challenge is the unheralded Bagautinov. The 28-year old, who trains at Jackson's MMA in Albuquerque, has won 11 straight fights, and is 3-0 in the UFC. While he entered the UFC with a reputation as a finisher, he's gone the distance in his past two fights.
"Ali is a solid fighter from a great camp who I have to respect," Johnson said. "But he can't do all the things I do, standing up, on the ground, everywhere. I respect Ali but I'm not worried."
The co-feature bout is a welterweight showdown with championship implications, as Rory MacDonald (16-2) takes on Tyron Woodley (13-2)
The 24-year old MacDonald, a British Columbia native, trains with former longtime champ Georges St-Pierre in Montreal and was considered his heir apparent before a pair of lackluster performances set him back. But a solid February win over veteran Demian Maia got him back on track. St. Louis' Woodley, meanwhile, has made his case with finishes of veterans Josh Koscheck and Carlos Condit.
While the winner of a July 26 bout between Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown has been promised the next shot at welterweight champ Johny Hendricks, nothing is ever etched in stone in the UFC, and a solid showing by the winner of this fight could cause them to jump the line. - Reuters
source: gmanetwork.com
