John Dodson has gone 3-3 since moving up to bantamweight, with victories over Manny Gamburyan, Eddie Wineland and Pedro Munhoz. His movement savvy will be put to the test when he faces all-action fighter Petr Yan this weekend for UFC Fight Night 145.
Count on “The Magician” to display elite form as he will try to deal the young Russian the first loss of his Ultimate Fighting Championship career. Let these numbers remind fans why Dodson remains a dangerous opponent for anyone at 135.
3: Sport athlete in high school. While enrolled at Moriarty High School in New Mexico, Dodson competed in wrestling, football and track. Before graduating in 2003, he had won the state championship twice and the district championship four times as a wrestler.
203: Seconds needed to defeat Zac White in his professional debut on Sept. 3, 2004. Dodson tapped out White, whom he would again beat by the same submission (rear-naked choke) three years later.
3: Months after his first fight, Dodson was back at it. And just like that, he found himself in front of one of the best flyweight at the time, Yasuhiro Urushitani. The two fought in Japan, and Dodson lost by unanimous decision -- but not without impressing fans.
16: Fights before getting signed by the UFC. Dodson compiled a record of 11-5 with notable victories over future UFC stars like John Moraga and Mike Easton. Dodson doubled on Moraga when they met for the second time at UFC Fight Night 42.
5: Full rounds with Pat Runez for the Ultimate Warrior Challenge flyweight belt. Dodson lost via a highly controversial split decision.
114: Seconds to beat future UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw. Dodson met Dillashaw in the finals of “The Ultimate Fighter 14” and stopped him with punches to take the win and the coveted six-figure contract.
115: Combined significant strikes landed on Demetrious Johnson. While the former UFC flyweight king outstruck him on two occasions, Dodson did throw some bombs that rocked Johnson.
9: Knockouts in his resume. One of the lower weight division’s heavy hitters, Dodson has knocked out the likes of Manvel Gamburyan, John Moraga, Jussier da Silva and Dillashaw.
101: Significant strikes is his highest striking output in a single fight. He did it on John Lineker who could only land 93 but was awarded the split decision victory at UFC Fight Night 95.
5: Losses in the UFC. Dodson consistently fought top-quality opponents and has lost only to contenders like John Lineker, Marlon Moraes and Jimmie Rivera, and to Johnson twice.
3: Post-fight bonuses. He has earned a total of $150,000 in bonus money for his two Knockout of the Night and one Fight of the Night awards.
2: Weight divisions in which he has fought in. Whether it’s at flyweight or bantamweight, Dodson makes his mark.
34: Years of age. Dodson was born on Sept. 26, 1984 in Albuquerque.