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UFC Flyweight Tournament Semifinals
Demetrious Johnson (14-2, 2-1 UFC) vs. Ian McCall (11-2, 0-0 UFC)

The Matchup: Johnson reached his ceiling at bantamweight in October, when he fell via unanimous decision to Dominick Cruz at UFC Live 6. Though “Mighty Mouse” actually landed more strikes than the champion, he was taken down 10 times for his attempts in trying to close distance against his rangy opponent.

Faced with a more favorable matchup at 125 pounds in McCall, Johnson can get back to doing what works best for him, which is closing the gap quickly, exploding into his attacks and consistently winning scrambles and exchanges. Johnson fights with a pace and an intensity that can be difficult to match, and he wears down his foes with quick combinations and active wrestling. The AMC Pankration representative does not possess knockout power in his hands, but he is effective enough with his striking to score points and set up takedowns.

Of the two UFC newcomers in the flyweight bracket, McCall has a better chance of pulling off the upset than Urushitani. Resilient inside the cage as well as out of it, McCall overcame personal demons to author a memorable 2011, beating Jussier da Silva, Dustin Ortiz and Darrell Montague in succession; all three men figure to eventually join McCall in the UFC someday.

The Tachi Palace Fights 125-pound titleholder has made great strides in his all-around game under the tutelage of Colin Oyama and Giva Santana. McCall moves well on the feet, and he throws powerful punches, as well. On the ground, “Uncle Creepy” has graduated from simply fighting at a frenetic pace and is now adept at holding a dominant position and doing damage there.

McCall’s solid takedown defense will be put to the test against Johnson, who will change levels quickly to attempt to gain control. Johnson’s speed can be difficult to adjust to, and McCall would be wise to mix in kicks to keep the Washington native at bay. McCall has a good sense of timing on his takedowns but will find it difficult to catch up to Johnson.

The Pick: McCall will make this competitive, landing some solid punches and holding his own on the mat, but, eventually, Johnson’s relentless approach will pay dividends. Look for “Mighty Mouse” to outstrike McCall on the feet and win the scrambles on the floor to take home a unanimous decision.

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