Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
With the upcoming debut of the UFC flyweight class in Australia that will feature the opening round of a four-man tournament to determine the first 125 lb. champion, many were concerned that the UFC hadn't booked additional flyweight bouts for upcoming cards, but now that has begun to change. Late last night, the UFC announced that TUF 14 bantamweight winner, John Dodson, will drop down to flyweight to face Brazilian Jiu Jitsu standout, Darren Uyenoyama, at UFC on Fox 3 in New Jersey on May 5th:
Also at that event, verbal agreements are in for a meetup at 125 pounds between last season's Ultimate Fighter bantamweight winner, John Dodson, and Darren Uyenoyama. Both men are moving down from 135 pounds to do battle in the UFC's newest division, flyweight.
Dodson, a member of Greg Jackson's team, was an early favorite to win the bantamweight division on his season of The Ultimate Fighter, and he certainly lived up to the hype, knocking out two of the three foes he faced in the opening rounds of the competition, and then doing the same to the highly-touted T.J. Dillashaw at the live finale. "The Magician" has fought at flyweight before, in his pro debut when he suffered a close decision loss against Yasuhiro Urushitani, who's currently a top-ranked flyweight and will participate in the upcoming UFC tournament.
Uyenoyama is a grappling specialist and a native of San Francisco, although his Japanese heritage has led to several fights abroad for Asian promotions like Deep and Shoto. The BJJ black belt hadn't really raised any eyebrows while competing for those promotions as well for Strikeforce, but his impressive ground skills were certainly on display in his UFC debut against the always dangerous, Norifumi Yamamoto. The "Bonecrusher" completely shut down Yamamoto's heavy hands and forced him to the ground where the Californian dominated the grappling exchanges en-route to a unanimous decision win.
John "The Magician" Dodson (12-5)
W. T.J. Dillashaw (TKO) - TUF 14 Finale
W John Moraga (unam. decision) - Nemesis Fighting: Global Invasion
W Jessie Riggleman (unam. decision) - UWC 8
Darren "Bonecrusher" Uyenoyama (7-3)
W Norifumi Yamamoto (unam. decision) - UFC on Fox 1
W Shuichiro Katsumura (TKO) - Shooto: Way of Shooto 5
L Tomoya Miyashita (submission) - Deep 47
0 recs | 35 comments
I hope they both lose.
But seriously, lets go Dodson.
NEW-HAMPSHIRE - January 25, 2012
wtf, what could you possibly have against BC?
Patrick Tenney - January 25, 2012
I like Kid haha
NEW-HAMPSHIRE - January 26, 2012
Get 'em BC
Dodson needs A HUMBLIN’
menckenstein - January 25, 2012
I’ll rec this even though you got it wrong. Dodson needs a whole handful of HUMBLIN’.
Empty Thoughts - January 25, 2012
Just finished watch the Urushitani fight
Don’t think he’ll make it past the first round of the tourny now. Dodson should take this, but Darren isn’t too bad. Then again Kid has been knees as of late. Less than ass for the slow…
cager - January 25, 2012
Dodson should tear him up
But at the same time this is John Dodson, so don’t be surprised if he gets his back taken or is tentative for no reason at all.
discoandherpes - January 25, 2012
I can't stand Dodson
His little dance after winning the last TUF almost made me crack the tv.
Triangled - January 25, 2012
His laugh is worse.
That super high cackle bullshit that he does. God damn that is terrible. Go Darren.
LenBarson - January 25, 2012
I fucking hate that fake ass laugh. Of all the idiots who ever walked into the TUF house I dislike Dodson the most.
Redconsensus - January 25, 2012
Me too. Can’t the stand the little bugger. I hope he gets smashes every time he steps into the cage from here on. So fucking annoying.
Horselover Fat - January 25, 2012
I would normally never dislike a fighter because of his/her personality
but goddamn is Dodson is obnoxious.
Ak.Death - January 25, 2012
pretend there was only one “is” in there.
Ak.Death - January 25, 2012
Dodson will do well for a round then get tired and lazy and Darren will have his back for 2 rounds.
I was initially excited for this fight then I thought about it for a second…
chillnnsht - January 25, 2012
That is very possible
discoandherpes - January 25, 2012
im a mighty mouse fan so i can care less
AMC mutha fucker!(yess im turning mma camps into gangs we have beef with cesar gracie….cuz)
Mac Marley - January 25, 2012
I always preferred Regal and Rave to AMC
menckenstein - January 25, 2012
Darren is scary on the ground
The way he was taking kid’s back
Full Mount - January 25, 2012 via mobile
That wasn’t even nearly the best of Darren’s grappling, dude is a dangerous mofo.
Patrick Tenney - January 25, 2012
Darren is a beast with his submissions.
If he can drag Dodson to the mat, it could be a bad night for Dodson. Obviously, I would have to give the striking advantage to Dodson, but still, it makes an interesting match-up, in my eyes.
@KatanaClothing - January 25, 2012
That psycho midget Dodson is gonna take this...or get choked out trying.
NickRingp4pGOAT - January 25, 2012
yes
the laugh is annoying but also a little frightening. He strikes me as a psychopath.
t0X - January 25, 2012
Dodson won TUF so he is headlining UFC on FOX 3
Afrotikiman - January 25, 2012 via mobile
Where does it say he's headlining?
This might not even be on the main card.
Scott Haber - January 25, 2012
It will for sure be on the main card
But it won’t headline
Stiff Jab - January 25, 2012
Actually I seriously doubt it will be on the main card
It looks like Fox shows are going to be all matches you would see on a high-end PPV on the main-card. It might just make it on to a UFC on FX main card, and certainly would if this were UFC on Fuel, but I’d be very surprised if this were on the Fox main card.
Chromium - January 25, 2012
When has a TUF winner ever not been on the main card?
And I’m not talking about a TUF winner after he has already lost and been in the UFC for a few years. TUF winners first fight is always a main card fight.
IWillPartyHard - January 25, 2012
But that was more a product of the Spike era.
With Spike out of the picture, the UFC has more control of where TUF winners will be placed on cards.
Scott Haber - January 25, 2012
Um, the winners of TUF 13 and TUF 11?
Also the winner of TUF 12 hasn’t been on a PPV event yet. The sole winner of TUF 13, Tony Ferguson, was on the Spike prelims of UFC 135, the first and only PPV event he has been on. The sole winner of TUF 11, Court McGee, was on the Spike prelims of UFC 121, also the first and only PPV event he’s been on since winning TUF. In fact none of the winners of TUF 11, 12, 13, or 14 have been on a PPV main card yet.
Fox cards appear to be very high-end, as well they should be, so I seriously doubt we’ll see John Dodson vs. Darren Uyenoyama on the main card.
Chromium - January 25, 2012
I’m sure you were joking/trolling here, but there’s no freaking way this fight happens after Miller/Diaz.
Shnak - January 25, 2012
Yeah I was just funnin’
Afrotikiman - January 25, 2012 via mobile
i'm curious about flyweights
i really dig the lighter weight classes, but did we need another one? where do you draw the line. part of me thinks: if you are too small to fight dudes that weigh 135 pounds, maybe cage fighting is not your thing.
Clifford J - January 25, 2012
Make that 155… if you’re too small to fight dudes at 155, then maybe cage fighting isn’t your thing.
Shnak - January 25, 2012
Blasphemy I tell you!!!
Uncle Creepy gonna haunt your dreams for that.
NickRingp4pGOAT - January 25, 2012
Flyweights have been part of the Unified Rules since their inception
And it is the only one that has not been promoted by the UFC yet, other than Super-Heavyweight.
Since Strawweight fights are almost unheard of outside of Asian MMA, I believe that this is where the line will be drawn.
Let’s compare to other combat sports:
-International Judo goes down to 132
-the BJJ Word Championships go down to 126.5
-Collegiate wrestling in the U.S. goes down to 125
-Freestyle wrestling internationally for people 20 and older goes down to 121 (in fact the U.S. representative at that weight in Beijing, Henry Cejudo, won a gold medal, and now he’s getting into MMA)
-Boxing goes down to 105 across all major sanctioning bodies
-WBC and WMC-sanctioned Muay Thai also both go down to 105
In all of these I’m talking about men’s divisions btw, not women. 125 is a perfectly reasonable lower limit for MMA. There are plenty of athletes at 135 or lower, 135 being a good place to cut down to 125 from.
Chromium - January 25, 2012
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