Sherdog.com’s 2013 Fight of the Year

Demetrious Johnson outdueled John Dodson in Chicago. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

5. Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson

Johnson spent all of his 2013 Octagon time representing the flyweight division on Fox. By the time the year was done, “Mighty Mouse” had firmly established himself as one of mixed martial arts’ top pound-for-pound talents and maybe picked up a few more fans along the way. While he was more dominant in triumphs over John Moraga and Joseph Benavidez, his Jan. 26 title defense against Dodson in Chicago was the most dramatic.

Johnson’s blinding speed gave him an advantage over nearly all of his opponents, but Dodson came the closest of anyone in the weight class to matching the prowess of “Mighty Mouse” in that area. Additionally, “The Magician” possessed the type of knockout power rarely found in the division, and he tested Johnson’s chin early, dropping the champion to a knee with a left hand in round one and flooring him with another left in the second.

“I got dazed a little bit, but I’m in great shape,” Johnson said. “[Getting hit is] going to happen. It’s like going swimming. You’re going to get splashed.”

The happy-go-lucky Dodson was all smiles at that point, but it was Johnson who would ultimately have the last laugh. The Matt Hume protégé recovered from the early blows and gradually asserted himself as the fight entered deeper waters. He wore down the Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts product in the championship frames by utilizing the Thai plum, capping off a victory that appeared to be in serious doubt early. Two of the three judges scoring the fight for Johnson did so by narrow 48-47 margins. The other had it 49-46.

“The first couple of rounds were hard,” Johnson said. “He showed some stuff that I wasn’t ready for, and I had to dig deep like a champion and pull through and keep the pressure on him.”