UFC on FOX 6: Johnson vs. Dodson

Preview by blogs theprovince


Saturday night at the United Center in Chicago, the UFC returns with their first FOX event of 2013.
Much like last month in Seattle, this card is loaded with talent and headlined by a championship bout, as Demetrious Johnson defends his flyweight title for the first time, taking on Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson in the evening’s main event.
This is a must-see line-up of fights at the new “Madhouse on Madison,” and just in case you’re not already counting down the hours until Saturday’s show kicks off, here’s a preview of the action you’ll see on FOX that will hopefully sink the hook and get you watching this weekend.
Demetrious Johnson (16-2-1) vs. John Dodson (14-5)
Here’s the thing: this fight is going to be moving so quickly, there is a good chance you’re going to miss some of the awesomeness. I don’t say that as means of diminishing your fight-watching abilities; it’s just a legit statement from having watched both these dudes for quite some time.
Johnson is the most technically precise speed demon I’ve seen in the cage. His entries on takedowns are lightning quick, and he gets in and out on his strikes fluidly; it’s beautiful to watch. The flyweight champ does a really good job of making opponents chase him, and then stepping into his combinations as they’re coming forward too aggressively.
Dodson is a little more frenetic than Johnson, but packs more power, and he’s got it in both hands. He won Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter at bantamweight with a first-round knockout win over TJ Dillashaw, and showed that he brought that power back down to flyweight with his finish of Jussier “Formiga” da Silva last time out.
This one is going to cover every inch of the Octagon, and the moments that decide the fight should come out of the clinch and scrambles. If Johnson is able to execute the way he did in his title-winning turn opposite Joseph Benavidez, he can pick-and-pop his way to a win. The key for Dodson will be landing on exits every time he can. Johnson doesn’t stay in range for long, and “The Magician” has to make him pay every time he does.
I know some people don’t like the lighter weight classes because the fighters are small, but these are the best athletes in the business, and they’re bound to put on a helluva fight on Saturday night.
“Rampage” Jackson (32-10) vs. Glover Teixeira (19-2)
This one isn’t so much a passing of the torch as Jackson fulfilling his contractual obligation, and getting set up next to a serious threat at his going away party.
One of the things that makes this fight so compelling is that there is absolutely no way to know where Jackson is at heading into this fight. He was playing video games during the press conference on Thursday, and has made no bones about how much he’s looking forward to leaving the UFC. Nothing in there tells us whether he’s in fighting shape or not, and that is a huge wild card because a focused and conditioned Jackson is still a dangerous fighter.
Regardless of what kind of shape Jackson is in, this is a litmus test for Teixeira, who has won 17 straight overall, including collecting a pair of impressive wins since arriving in the UFC. What makes Teixeira so dangerous is that he’s been around for a long time and has a tremendously well-rounded game for the division. He’s adept on the ground, and hits like a Mack truck, with crisp, compact boxing.
Where this fight takes place will dictate what we get. If Teixeira opts to stand with Jackson, we’ll get ourselves an entertaining boxing match between a pair of sluggers with serious power. However, if Teixeira looks to take this to the ground, he’ll have a serious advantage, as “Rampage” has never been particularly comfortable on the canvas.
Anthony Pettis (15-2) vs. Donald Cerrone (19-4)
Lightweights who like slinging leather and aren’t particularly fond of each other? Sign me up.
Cerrone talked Pettis into this one, calling him out following his victory over Melvin Guillard last summer in Colorado. “Showtime” obliged, and now we’ve got ourselves a match-up that should produce a full blown firefight on Saturday night.
Pettis has been off since knocking out Joe Lauzon last February in Japan with a quick and nasty headkick. One of the most creative and instinctive fighters in the UFC, the former WEC lightweight champion does a very good job of adjusting on the fly in the heat of the battle. He’s improved his ground game over the years, but striking is definitely his thing, and you never know what he’s going to pull out.
I mean, he did this. In the fifth round. Of an ultra-close championship fight. On live TV:

It’s easy to like Cerrone as a fighter. He brings it every time he steps into the cage, and is too damn stubborn to back down, even when he’s taking an ass-whipping of his own. “Cowboy” is the more well-rounded of the two, having shown a solid submission game at various points in his career, but he too prefers to stand and trade.
When he’s comfortable and confident, the Jackson-Winkeljohn student has a rhythmic bounce to his forward movement. If you see that little hitch in his giddy-up when he’s coming in, you know he’s in rhythm and ready to go. It will be interesting to see what kind of impact Greg Jackson has on this fight, as the sport’s strategy Jedi was responsible for crafting the game plan that helped Clay Guida beat Pettis two summers ago.
This is a coin-flip fight that will most likely take home Fight of the Night honours.
Erik Koch (13-1) vs. Ricardo Lamas (12-2)
This fight received ZERO mentions in the marketing and promotion of tomorrow’s event, and it drives me insane. After all, there is a very good chance that the winner will take on the winner of next weekend’s UFC 156 main event battle between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar.
Not exactly how I would go about building a title contender, but whatever.
Koch is coming back after 16 months on the sidelines. Injuries forced him out of a bout with Dustin Poirier and a pair of championship engagements with Aldo last year, and he’s beyond excited to get back into the cage. Like Pettis, Koch trains in Milwaukee under Duke Roufus, and has developed a sound striking game under the former kickboxing champion. He has a solid wrestling base, and is an excellent athlete, but the big question will be how the time on the shelf has impacted him.
Without much fanfare, Lamas has racked up a trio of wins since dropping to featherweight, including a submission victory over Cub Swanson and a unanimous decision win over Hatsu Hioki. The Chicago native is a high motor, wear-you-down wrestler who doesn’t get enough credit for the power he has in his hands, and will definitely be spurred on by fighting in front of friends and family on Saturday night.
This one has the potential to play out similarly to Koch’s bout with Jonathan Brookins, who tried to grind “New Breed” down by pressing him into the cage. Koch was able to do enough in space to earn the win, but Lamas is a more powerful, more explosive wrestler than Brookins. Who controls the distance will determine who wins this contest.