Demetrious Johnson shuts out John Dodson in one-sided UFC 191 main event
Demetrious Johnson put on another picture-perfect performance as he shut down John Dodson for the better part of five rounds to cruise to his seventh straight title defense in the UFC 191 main event.
Demetrious Johnson promised to dispatch John Dodson with an even more impressive performance than their first fight, and he certainly didn't disappoint as he put on a masterful showing Saturday night.
Johnson outworked Dodson at almost every turn with superior footwork, hand speed and striking, and while the challenger was able to stuff some takedowns early, he couldn't stop the champion's wrestling all night long.
Johnson pushed the pace and simply wouldn't give Dodson room to breathe and when it was all over there was no doubt that the flyweight championship was flying home with “Mighty Mouse”.
In the co-main event, Andrei Arlovski scored a unanimous decision win over Frank Mir in a rather lackluster heavyweight battle.
Both fighters seemed largely out of gas after the first round, but Arlovski and Mir continued to battle it out until the final horn.
The win gives Arlovski his fourth straight win since returning to the UFC as he closes in on a potential title shot in 2016.
Full results and play by play for UFC 191: Johnson vs. Dodson 2 below:
MAIN EVENT: Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson
Round 1:
Johnson opens things up with a good right hand while both fighters are trying to gauge distance. Johnson's first takedown attempt comes up just short. Johnson is ultra-aggressive as Dodson counters with some shots to the body. Johnson goes for another takedown but Dodson shrugs him off. Johnson staying active throughout the round.
10-9 Demetrious Johnson
Round 2:
Dodson catches a kick and throws Johnson to the ground but the fight stays there only for a matter of seconds. Johnson jumps in and Dodson clips him with a fast left hand and then twists him around to stop a takedown attempt. Johnson continues to leap forward with a lead right hand but Dodson is countering well with his left. Dodson tosses Johnson to the ground but lets him back up.
10-9 John Dodson
Round 3:
Johnson with a takedown attempt but ends up trying to complete a single leg. He comes over the top with right hands while holding onto Dodson's leg. Johnson gets inside again to grab the leg and he starts popping away with punches and elbows. Johnson lands a hard left that blasts Dodson and slows him down. Johnson finally lands his first takedown late in the round. Johnson is dominating now.
10-9 Demetrious Johnson
Round 4:
Johnson with a right hand that cracks Dodson on the jaw. Johnson just has superior movement and pressure, and Dodson has no answer. Johnson jumps in with a right hand and Dodson is just playing defense right now. Johnson grabs Dodson's legs and puts him down on the ground for a moment but then traps him against the cage while standing. Johnson's confidence is growing with each passing second as Dodson fades.
10-9 Demetrious Johnson
Round 5:
Johnson uncorks another massive right hand that snaps Dodson's head back. Johnson's ability to cut angles and constantly find a home for his right hand is a thing of beauty. Johnson swoops under and gets another takedown as Dodson wiggles towards the cage to stand up again. Johnson just toying with Dodson at this point as he takes him down at will and just blasts him with a series of right hands. Not really a close fight as it comes to an end.
10-9 Demetrious Johnson
FOX Sports scores it 49-46 for Demetrious Johnson
Official result: Demetrious Johnson def. John Dodson by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45)
Analysis:
Demetrious Johnson put on another picture-perfect performance as he out worked John Dodson in virtually every facet of their fight on Saturday night. Dodson definitely gave Johnson his toughest title defense the first time around, but the second fight was about as lopsided as a decision could get outside of the second round, which was fairly close. Johnson was superior with his speed, his footwork, his striking and his wrestling. Johnson is as good as it gets when it comes to MMA skills and unless Henry Cejudo can give him a fight, there really is no one left to challenge him at 125 pounds.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Frank Mir
Round 1:
Short left from Arlovski and Mir counters with a clinch against the cage. Arlovski with a beautiful right hand that tags Mir on the chin. Mir clips Arlovski with a left hand as he initiates the clinch again but they quickly separate. Arlovski misses with a right hand and Mir grabs the body lock but he still can't get the fight to the ground. Arlovski with the better strikes throughout the first round.
10-9 Andrei Arlovski
Round 2:
Mir finally gets inside on a single-leg takedown, and he puts Arlovski on the mat. Mir punishing Arlovski's midsection with punches and elbows. Referee sees enough and stands them back up again. Arlovski with a hard body kick as Mir initiates the clinch again. Arlovski separates but Mir counters with a spinning-back fist. Not much is happening at the end of this round.
10-9 Frank Mir
Round 3:
Arlovski jumps in and grabs the clinch to start the final round. Referee separates them back to the middle again. Mir ducks down to look for a takedown but he's much slower at this point in the fight and Arlovski shrugs him off. Arlovski with a nice inside elbow. Mir tags Arlovski with a left hand and then another that hurts him as he rushes forward for the takedown. Arlovski recovers and gets back up again. Arlovski jumps in and tags Mir with a pair of hard left hands. Mir is cut over the right eye and blood is streaming down the former champion's face.
10-9 Frank Mir
FOX Sports scores it 29-28 for Frank Mir
Official result: Andrei Arlovski def. Frank Mir by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Analysis:
Both Arlovski and Mir took the fight on shorter notice than usual to help an ailing UFC 191 card in need of a co-main event, and it showed in their performances. Arlovski looked much slower than his recent fights in the UFC and Mir seemingly ran out of gas after the first five or six minutes. That said, Arlovski gets his fourth win in a row in the UFC and sixth win overall. As strange as it sounds this performance might have hurt Arlovski's chances of getting a title shot with his next fight, so there's a good possibility he'll compete again before possibly earning a crack at the gold.
Anthony Johnson vs. Jimi Manuwa
Round 1:
Johnson clubs Manuwa a right hand over the top that drops him to one knee for a moment. Johnson rushes forward and plants Manuwa down on the ground. Manuwa works up for a second but Johnson gets underneath and puts him right back down again. Johnson advancing on the ground, looking for an opening. Manuwa finally works up again and quickly fires off a head kick and initiates the clinch. Crowd a little restless after a lot of clinch work in round one.
10-9 Anthony Johnson
Round 2:
Johnson lands a hard right hand to open the round, and he's looking for the knockout this round. Johnson comes back with another right hand and Manuwa goes crashing to the ground. Johnson jumps down to finish the job but this fight is already over. Johnson with the one-punch knockout. That was nasty!
Official result: Anthony Johnson def. Jimi Manuwa by knockout at 0:28 second, R2
Analysis:
Anthony Johnson is still at the top of the heap when it comes to contenders in the light heavyweight division. He showed off a little wrestling in round one, but then just crushed Manuwa with a right hand in round two. There doesn't seem to be a harder puncher in all of MMA than Johnson, and as the light heavyweight division awaits the eventual return of Jon Jones, he might be the most dangerous opposition that exists for current champ Daniel Cormier.
Jan Blachowicz vs. Corey Anderson
Round 1:
Anderson tossing his jab out but he's coming up a little short. Blachowicz fires back with some hard left-right combinations, and he's landing. Blachowicz gets the clinch and takes Anderson down from the body lock but they work back to the feet in a hurry. Anderson goes for a takedown of his own this time and he lands on top of Blachowicz with about 90 seconds to go. Blachowicz kicks his hips up and goes for an armbar and Anderson has to stand up to escape. Anderson presses forward just as the round ends. Blachowicz looks winded.
10-9 Jan Blachowicz
Round 2:
Anderson head hunting to open round two, and he's tagging Blachowicz before catching a kick and taking the fight to the ground. Anderson working his ground and pound with short inside elbows and hard punches whenever he postures up. Anderson pushes Blachowicz against the cage, and he's wailing away with some nasty elbows. Anderson stands up and just crashes back down again with a huge punch. Anderson all over Blachowicz. One-sided round.
10-9 Corey Anderson
Round 3:
Anderson with another takedown to open the round, and he's got Blachowicz trapped against the cage in full guard. Anderson is grinding Blachowicz into the mat this round with constant pressure combined with short inside punches and elbows. Anderson just overwhelming as he beats on Blachowicz from the top. Just a suffocating performance from Anderson.
10-9 Corey Anderson
FOX Sports scores it 29-28 for Corey Anderson
Official result: Corey Anderson def. Jan Blachowicz by unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 29-26)
Analysis:
Anderson looked fantastic after a close first round as he took Blachowicz to the mat and just mauled him like a predatory playing with his prey. Anderson outlanded Blachowicz 136-29 in total strikes over three rounds and it definitely showed when the scorecards were read. Anderson remains a solid prospect at 205 pounds in a division in desperate need of new blood.
Paige VanZant vs. Alex Chambers
Round 1:
VanZant grabs the Thai clinch as Chambers counters with punches over the top. VanZant with some hard knees from the clinch until they break. VanZant lands a nice inside elbow but Chambers comes back with a straight right of her own. VanZant grabs the head and arm and lands a beautiful throw but allows Chambers back up again. VanZant continues to grab the Muay Thai clinch to work her knees but Chambers fires back effectively. VanZant pressures Chambers nonstop during the opening stanza
10-9 Paige VanZant
Round 2:
VanZant ultra aggressive once again as she works from the clinch to pressure Chambers with knees and elbows. VanZant lands a hard right hand and then it's back to the clinch with more knees. VanZant is controlling Chambers but she just can't land her knees clean to the body or head to do maximum damage. VanZant adjusts and pops Chambers with a left elbow and a knee to the body. VanZant tags Chambers with a nasty right hand and the Australian is hurt. VanZant is just relentless as she tosses Chambers to the ground. VanZant has outlanded Chambers more than 5-to-1 in total strikes
10-9 Paige VanZant
Round 3:
VanZant just chucks Chambers to the ground but lets her back up again. VanZant leaps right back in and takes Chambers' back. VanZant locks in the rear-naked choke but she gives that up for the mount instead. VanZant rolls and grabs the armbar and Chambers taps immediately. An absolute mauling from VanZant.
Official result: Paige VanZant def. Alex Chambers by submission (armbar) at 1:01, R3
Analysis:
A flawless fight from VanZant from start to finish, going from the clinch then to the ground, where she put Chambers away. There were moments where it almost seemed like VanZant was toying with Chambers just to test out new techniques and then finished her when she finally felt like it. VanZant is a star on the rise and this was a good stepping stone for her career. Hopefully, the UFC recognizes VanZant's potential and doesn't rush her into fights against the top five in the division just yet. A matchup with Heather Jo Clark seems like a lot of fun right now.
Ross Pearson vs. Paul Felder
Round 1:
Felder with some nasty knees to the body and the head while Pearson grabs onto the clinch to slow him down. Felder reverses and lands a nice inside elbow that cracks Pearson. Felder goes high for a kick but Pearson gets underneath and takes him to the ground. Felder aggressive while throwing elbows from the bottom. Felder works back up and he pounds Pearson with two more inside elbows.
10-9 Paul Felder
Round 2:
The fighters exchanges some hard leg kicks as Felder acts as the aggressor so far this round. Pearson fires of a nasty body kick as he counter strikes Felder. Felder comes back with a spin kick to the body and his heel digs into Pearson's gut. Pearson fires off a pair of left hands that clip Felder's jaw before the end of the round.
10-9 Ross Pearson
Round 3:
Felder very aggressive as he walks Pearson across the cage, but it's Pearson who is landing the better strikes as he counters with precision. Pearson lands a hard leg kick as Felder uncorks a spinning back first but it's blocked. Pearson's left hand keeps finding a home on Felder's jaw over and over again. Pearson with a nice right hand just as the fight comes to an end.
10-9 Ross Pearson
FOX Sports scores it 29-28 for Ross Pearson
Official result: Ross Pearson def. Paul Felder by split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
Analysis:
A back and forth fight between two sluggers in the lightweight division. Felder was on his horse on all, chasing Pearson all over the cage but unfortunately he was getting countered more than he was landing any solid strikes of his own. Pearson did a great job of setting up his punches and never getting lured into a brawl with a bigger and likely stronger fighter like Felder. Pearson is back on track following a loss back in July and he remains a tough matchup for anyone at 155 pounds. Felder has lost two heartbreaking decisions in a row and while he'll grow from both, he needs to find consistency in his performances if he wants to survive in the shark pit that is the lightweight division.
Round 1:
Lineker tags Rivera and the two fighters just begin winging punches at each other. Lineker drops Rivera and he jumps on top and goes for a flurry of punches. Rivera survives and stands up and begins just launching punches with Lineker as these guys go back and forth, just dropping bombs on each other. Rivera finally shoots in for a takedown but Lineker grabs onto a guillotine choke! Rivera is caught and he taps out! What a crazy fight!
Official result: John Lineker def. Francisco Rivera by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:08, R2
Analysis:
Lineker gets huge credit for dropping one of the hardest hitters in the bantamweight division and then getting a finish a few moments later on the ground. It's clear Lineker was a vastly undersized fighter in this matchup, giving five inches of reach to Rivera, but he stood in the pocket and launched rockets at his bigger opponent. If Lineker could get his weight cut under control, he would be a huge asset at flyweight but if he keeps this up, he'll be dangerous against anyone at 135 pounds as well.
After the fight, Rivera has a massive mouse under his left eye. Looks like he has a golf ball hidden in his cheek.
Round 1:
Andrade comes over the top immediately with a hard right hand. Pennington gets the clinch as they lock horns against the cage. Andrade gets underneath and lands a nice takedown. Andrade looks to take the back, but Pennington able to stand up and push against the cage again. Andrade picks Penning up and puts her down on the mat, but Pennington pushes off the cage and she's up again. Pennington with a right hand that cracks Andrade and she follows it up with a short elbow that blasts the Brazilian. Andrade with another takedown just before the end of the round.
10-9 Jessica Andrade
Round 2:
Pennington slams a left hook on Andrade's jaw and Andrade quickly grabs for the clinch but she can't hold on and they are back to the middle. Pennington is landed with better accuracy using her reach while Andrade can't seem to find her distance. Pennington grabs a takedown of her own as Andrade tries for a guillotine choke. Andrade uses the choke to get back up again and she bursts forward with a nasty left hand the pops Pennington and her eye swells up immediately. Pennington looks for another takedown and Andrade wants the guillotine again. Pennington slips free and jumps on her back and locks on a rear naked choke out of nowhere! Pennington holds on and Andrade is trapped and she taps! Incredible finish.
Official result: Raquel Pennington def. Jessica Andrade by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:58, R2
Analysis:
Huge win for Pennington, who has been on the wrong end of a few heartbreaking losses including a split decision defeat to current No. 1 contender Holly Holm. Pennington's record reads 6-6 with her win at UFC 191, but that doesn't even begin to speak to how tough this former 'Ultimate Fighter' competitor is in every, single one of her fights. Pennington might not be a top five level fighter, but she's going to be a serious challenge for anyone who hopes to get there.
Round 1:
The fighters are exchanging some haymakers early. Trator is trying to get the clinch while Collard is countering with body shots. Collard launching hard shots at Trator as the Brazilian plays defense. Trator gets a body lock takedown, but Collard quickly reverse and lands on top. Now Trator gets the sweep and he's mounting Collard against the cage. Trator looking for a rear naked choke but the round comes to an end.
10-9 Tiago Trator
Round 2:
Collard out aggressive to start round two, throwing big winging punches but Trator counters with a hard right hand over the top. Collard very active and he slams a straight left down the middle and Trator drops to his butt. Collard follows him to the ground and nearly gets caught in an armbar. Trator is able to trip Collard up and get on top in half guard. Trator tries for another choke but Collard slips out the back door and he's on top now.
10-9 Clay Collard
Round 3:
Collard lands a hard combination while Trator counters with a good inside leg kick. Collard swings with some wild shots and he's more active but he gives up a lot of counters from Trator. Collard pushes forward with a takedown but Trator quickly works back up. Collard is still throwing a ton more volume but he gets way too wild in the exchanges. Trator with a takedown just before the end of the round. A tough round to score.
10-9 Clay Collard
FOX Sports scores it 29-28 for Clay Collard
Official result: Tiago Trator def. Clay Collard by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
Analysis:
Impossibly tough fight to score because Trator seemed to land with better technique while looking for submissions on the ground while Collard was blistering with his volume and hit the Brazilian with more shots over three rounds. Trator gets the win, but Collard can't walk away feeling too defeated. It was a very, very close fight.
Joe Riggs vs. Ron Stallings
Round 1:
Stallings clips Riggs with a pair of jabs that hurt his eye. Riggs is grabbing and wiping away at his eye. Stallings tries to take advantage, but Riggs fights off the cage and they are back to the middle. Riggs with a quick takedown, but Stallings counters with a triangle choke before transitioning to the omo plata to reverse positions and they get back to the feet. Riggs with another takedown. Riggs hammering away with elbows from inside the guard. Riggs steps up and cactches an up kick to his eye again. He jumps back down and lands in side control on top of Stallings as the round ends.
10-9 Ron Stallings
Round 2:
Riggs is struggling to see out of his right eye but as soon as he comes out of the gate he plants a hard left hand that puts Stallings down! Riggs quickly jumps down and he's blasting away at Stallings with elbows. Riggs is just eating him alive on top against the cage. Stallings hits Riggs with an illegal up kick and the referee pauses the fight for a moment. Riggs tells the doctor he can't see out of his right eye and the referee is forced to stop the fight.
Official result: Joe Riggs def. Ron Stallings by TKO (doctor's stoppage after an illegal kick) at 2:28, R2
Analysis:
Disappointing end to what was a solid fight up to that point. Riggs got caught early and his eye was damaged thanks to some good jabs from Stallings, but he survived to round two. Riggs came back with a huge left and he was probably on his way to a 10-8 round, but the illegal kick caused a stop to the fight and with Riggs' eye already mangled and he was unable to see, the referee stopped the fight. It was a very strange sequence to the ending of the fight. The damage to the eye came from a legal strike but it was seemingly made worse by the illegal kick.
Joaquim Silva vs. Nazareno Malegarie
Round 1:
Malegarie cracking Silva throughout the first round with a hard left hand that finds its way through is opponent's defense repeatedly. Silva improving as he counters and starts to land a hard right hand of his own. Malegarie finally shoots in for a takedown but Silva stuffs him as they get trapped against the cage. Malegarie has a cut over his right eye and Silva is finding his timing. Hard round to score
10-9 Joaquim Silva
Round 2:
Malegarie gets a takedown to open round two as he finally plants Silva on the mat. Malegarie can't keep him down and Silva works up quickly. Silva is the aggressor now picking his shots as he opens another cut on the left side of Malegarie's head this time. Malegarie has better volume, but Silva is landed with better accuracy. Malegarie comes back with another good left hand but Silva catches him with a hard knee as he steps forward.
10-9 Joaquim Silva
Round 3:
Silva lands a nice knee to the body to open the final round. Again, the two fighters are going back and forth with single punches and neither one is pulling ahead in the last stanza. Malegarie is picking up the pace with just under two minutes to go as he hits Silva with four or five hard punches in a row. Malegarie is up in total significant strikes so the scores could be all over the place in a decision.
10-0 Nazareno Malegarie
FOX Sports scores it 29-28 for Joaquim Silva
Official result: Joaquim Silva def. Nazareno Malegarie by split decision (30-27, 30-27, 28-29)
Analysis:
Very tough fight to score with both fighters exchanging strikes over three rounds. What likely earned the win for Silva was the amount of damage he did to Malegarie over the course of the fight. Silva opened several cuts on Malegarie and landed the more effective, accurate strikes. Both fighters came from the most recent season of 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' so it's likely Silva and Malegarie will fight close to home in the near future.
UFC 191: JOHNSON VS. DODSON 2
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET)
MAIN EVENT: Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson
Andrei Arlovski vs. Frank Mir
Anthony Johnson vs. Jimi Manuwa
Jan Blachowicz vs. Corey Anderson
Paige VanZant vs. Alex Chambers
UFC 191 PRELIMS (FOX SPORTS 1 at 8 p.m. ET)
Ross Pearson vs. Paul Felder
Francisco Rivera vs. John Lineker
Jessica Andrade vs. Raquel Pennington
Clay Collard vs. Tiago Trator
UFC 191 EARLY PRELIMS (UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. ET)
Joe Riggs vs. Ron Stallings
Joaquim Silva vs. Nazareno Malegarie