UFC Fight Night 42: 11 Matches To Make For The Winners

3. John Dodson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZkTboHqk_c Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson is probably, with apologies to Demitrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson, the most entertaining flyweight fighter in the UFC today. Why? A good sense of humour, quirky personality, and decent speaking skills on the mic help. Knockout power, a rarity in the 125lb division, definitely helps. Solid cardio, great speed, and finishes in four out of five UFC fights rounds things out - the guy is the real deal. He's been competing since 2004, but really only popped on most people's radar thanks to his appearance on the the Ultimate Fighter 14 - going up to Bantamweight to make the show, and winning it. Oh, and that TUF 14 win? That came over some guy named T. J. Dillashaw. Not that it matters, but that's the same Dillashaw that just derailed Renan Barao's undefeated streak, and took the UFC Bantamweight title in the process. In fact, the only snag in the complete package that is Dodson is a five round unanimous decision loss to Mighty Mouse, in his first shot at the UFC title. So where does a TKO doctor's stoppage win against John Moraga (his second time defeating Moraga; the first was back in 2010 under the Nemesis Fighting banner) leave "The Magician" in the title hunt? Well, as mentioned, Dodson is probably the most entertaining flyweight out there. Is he the best? No, since Mighty Mouse holds that victory over him. However, Dodson is ranked #1 by the UFC, and should Johnson be victorious at UFC 174 over Ali Bagautinov, a rematch is likely to be in the cards. In all honesty, for a fledgling division, a little bit of upheaval could be just what the doctor ordered. Johnson has been the only 125lb champ the UFC has had, and while the flyweight class has only been around a couple of years, he's already defeated the other most dominant flyweight out there, Alpha Male fighter Joseph Benavidez, twice, both times with the title on the line. Bagautinov, ranked fourth, is up next, Moraga sits in the number five ranked spot and just lost to Dodson, and "Uncle Creepy" Ian McCall, a fan favourite, is the only other fighter in the top 5, ranked third - but he entered the UFC fighting to a draw with Johnson in a controversial fight that featured a judge's scoring error (originally, McCall had lost), then lost a rematch to the future champ, all as part of the inaugural 125lb tournament to award the flyweight belt. So you've got a guy Mighty Mouse has beat twice, a guy he's beat once and fought to a draw with once, the guy who's up next anyway, and a guy who just lost to Dodson, and Dodson himself, as your top five. Given the entertainment value, Dodson should be a shoe-in. If the UFC wanted, they could probably line him up for one more fight before getting a second shot, but in a shallow division, he could easily walk straight into a title shot against whoever wins at UFC 174.