Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson goes in to his record seventh title defence in the Octagon as he takes on 'The Magician' John Dodson in the main event of UFC 191 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday.
The defending flyweight champion of the world has accomplished several records ever since he stepped in the Octagon, from recording the most wins in the UFC Flyweight history to landing the most amount of strikes in the weight division.
Johnson is also the current number 3 UFC fighter in the pound-for-pound rankings. He comes to the fight recording eight consecutive wins, and has landed a total of 669 strikes in the UFC. His opponent, Dodson, is currently ranked number 1 in the UFC Flyweight rankings.
Getting another win over Dodson may look easy on paper, but Johnson has to be wary of his 30-year-old compatriot, whose striking ability is immense. Dodson has recorded 50% of his wins by KO/TKO (Knockout/Technical Knockout) in his mixed martial arts (MMA) career.
The two fighters met previously in January 2013 at the UFC on FOX 6 event. Johnson recorded a unanimous win on the night, but the champion feels that Dodson will not be an easy opponent by any means, as they face again after more than two years.
"When we first fought, I got in trouble at the beginning of the fight and then I made a little adjustment and then finally wait until I got my hands on him," Johnson was quoted by Toronto Sun. "For me, my style is to get in on my opponent is to get inside ... you see it in my other title defences."
Johnson, who has received plaudits from MMA fans and lovers all over the world for his insane speed in the cage, weighed in at 124.5 pounds in the official UFC 191 fighter weigh-ins on Friday, while Dodson weighed in at 125 pounds.
Looking ahead, Dodson seems confident and plans to win the title from Johnson on Saturday. "I'm going to do something that no one's been able to do or accomplish in the UFC in flyweight, and that's stop Demetrious Johnson," he said.
"DJ's been sitting there saying he wants to fight other people and other opponents, and that's the worst thing to do as champion, so I'm going to go out there and be that sneaky little bullet, that assassin that's creeping through the night and is going to come out and attack him," Dodson added.
The co-main event of the fight card features a fight between two of the most decorated former UFC heavyweight champions, Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir. The two were involved in a light selfie moment during their weigh-ins on Friday.
Where to Watch Live
UFC 191: Johnson vs Dodson 2 airs LIVE on Fox Sports 1 at 10pm ET / 7pm PT (7:30am IST, 3am BST) with live coverage in India on Sony SIX/SIX HD & KIX.
Four prelim bouts will be aired live in the US from 8pm ET / 5pm PT. Viewers in the UK can catch the pay-per-view live on BT Sport 2.
