Good things come in small packages.
The undisputed ruler of the 125-pound weight class, Demetrious Johnson again showed why he is worthy of the accolades that come from being listed below with the best mixed martial arts has to offer.
His performance at UFC 174 against Ali Bagautinov was technically flawless. He darted in and out with grace and effectively controlled the tempo from bell to bell with a pace that few -- if any, especially at flyweight -- can match.
Johnson’s contemporaries can only look on in awe as he climbs the ladder of acknowledgment with one stunning performance after another. How far will “Mighty Mouse” go? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: this mouse gives any cat a run for its money.
For the second time in as many fights, “Bones” needed all five rounds to defend his UFC light heavyweight title. Jones’ victory over Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 was far different from his win against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, however, as the Jackson-Wink MMA product routed his hard-hitting Brazilian challenger for all 25 minutes of their encounter in Baltimore. The win continued Jones’ streak as the winningest 205-pound champion in company history -- now with seven consecutive defenses -- and further cemented his place as the top athlete operating in mixed martial arts today. Up next for the 26-year old is a Sept. 27 rematch with Gustafsson at UFC 178 in Toronto.
Aldo’s featherweight title defense at UFC 169 was far from dramatic, which is a testament to his dominance as champion. The Nova Uniao standout had his way with Ricardo Lamas for four rounds, landing multiple punching and kicking combinations, as well as a pair of late takedowns. A final salvo from Lamas in round five was not nearly enough as Aldo had his hand raised for the 17th consecutive time -- including six successful UFC title defenses. After the win, “Scarface” seemed eager for a super fight against lightweight champion Anthony Pettis; but Pettis is now tied up with Gilbert Melendez. For now, the Brazilian will focus on a UFC 176 rematch with Chad Mendes, who has not lost since the two squared off in January 2012.
Velasquez removed any doubt relating to the identity of the best heavyweight in the world by administering a brutal beating to Junior dos Santos at UFC 166. The final bout of the trilogy was never really in doubt, as the American Kickboxing Academy ace dominated in the clinch and rarely allowed his opponent any space to unleash his formidable boxing. Velasquez dropped his opponent in the third round and earned the stoppage late in the fifth, where dos Santos finally wilted after hitting his head on the canvas following a failed guillotine attempt. Brazilian submission specialist Fabricio Werdum will get his long-awaited shot at Velasquez this fall when they meet at UFC 180 after coaching on “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America.”
Weidman cemented his spot atop the middleweight division with a second consecutive triumph over Anderson Silva in the UFC 168 main event. After nearly finishing “The Spider” in the opening frame, the Serra-Longo Fight Team standout checked a kick that resulted in a gruesomely fractured leg for Silva, ending the bout 1:16 into the second round. Unbeaten in seven Octagon appearances, Weidman will make his second title defense at UFC 175 against former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, who stepped in to replace original challenger Vitor Belfort.
The UFC’s flyweight dynamo continues to widen the gap between himself and everyone else at 125 pounds. Gone are the narrow decisions that squeaked “Mighty Mouse” past Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall; in his last three bouts, Johnson has recorded a crushing knockout, an armbar submission and a five-round rout. Ali Bagautinov found himself on the wrong end of that one-sided blowout at UFC 174, where Johnson used his blistering speed to fight circles around his challenger and outscored the Russian nearly four-to-one in significant strikes. While nothing has been confirmed, the apparent top contender to the flyweight belt is John Dodson, against whom Johnson successfully defended the title in January 2013.
Pettis needed five rounds and the remarkable “Showtime” kick to snatch the WEC belt from Benson Henderson in 2010, but he required far less time to earn his second victory over “Smooth” and become the new UFC lightweight king. In the UFC 164 headliner, Pettis softened his opponent with a series of brutal body kicks and then locked in a fight-ending armbar with 29 seconds left in round one. About the only thing that went wrong for Pettis was a knee injury he suffered while checking a kick. Currently on the mend from surgery, Pettis will film a new season of “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite rival coach Gilbert Melendez in May, with the two expected to face off later this year.
Nobody wanted to see Silva’s night end the way it did at UFC 168, as the longtime pound-for-pound king suffered a broken left leg when Chris Weidman checked a kick during the second round of their headlining matchup. The Brazilian underwent emergency surgery following the bout and is expected to make a full recovery. According to UFC President Dana White, “The Spider” could climb back in the cage before the end of the year. Silva, who turns 39 in April, was victorious in his first 17 UFC appearances before falling to Weidman in consecutive bouts.
Hendricks fell short in his bid for the UFC welterweight title when he faced Georges St. Pierre in November, but the “Bigg Rigg” made his second opportunity count. By finishing strong in the five-round main event of UFC 171, the 30-year old Oklahoman outlasted and outpointed fellow bruiser Robbie Lawler, claiming the belt vacated by GSP in December. Lawler is just the latest in a series of major scalps for Hendricks, who has picked off big-name 170-pounders from Jon Fitch to Carlos Condit on his way to the throne. There will be no shortage of opposition for Hendricks in the suddenly shaking welterweight ranks; while his next challenger figures to be the winner of Lawler versus Matt Brown, contenders like Rory MacDonald and Hector Lombard are waiting in the wings.
After emerging victorious from extremely close five-rounders with Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson in the past 16 months, Henderson finally took the judges out of the equation and picked up a non-controversial victory. The former UFC and WEC lightweight champion secured his first finish in 11 bouts when he forced Rustam Khabilov to tap to a rear-naked choke on June 7 in Albuquerque, N.M. The “Smooth” need more of the same if he wants a shot at redemption against the man who (twice) took his title, Anthony Pettis, as “Showtime” is currently tied up with Melendez.
One bout removed from a narrow and controversial loss to then-lightweight champion Benson Henderson, “El Nino” teamed with Diego Sanchez to produce one of 2013’s most memorable fights at UFC 166. Melendez recently flirted with a move to Bellator before re-signing with the UFC. He will coach opposite lightweight champion Anthony Pettis on Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter” before challenging “Showtime” for his title later this year.