UFC on Fox 6 Main Card Recap

Lamas landing a vicious elbow on Koch.
Photo via Sherdog.com

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: I don’t believe people are going to doubt Lamas anymore. He has been the underdog in his last two fights, but this time, Lamas was out to really prove a point. The first round wasn’t particularly exciting with Lamas clinching against the fence for a majority of the first five minutes. The second round was a different story though. Lamas slipped about a minute in and when Koch attempted to get on top, Lamas somehow slipped under for a takedown. When on top, Lamas landed some of more brutal elbows that I have ever seen. It ripped Koch’s eyebrow open letting blood poor out. Lamas absolutely demolished Koch, showing he is the number one contender.

Possible matchups for Lamas: I’m pretty sure that this win puts Lamas up for the winner of Aldo and Edgar. How can you deny him the title shot?

Possible matchups for Koch: Even though he may be coming off of a huge loss like this, he is still one of the best fighters at 145 pounds. Dennis Siver and Dustin Poirier are fighting in a few weeks in Japan, looking to move up the featherweight ladder. The loser of that fight should face off with Koch.

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: It’s funny how the two fights I had the most trouble in picking were two of the more one sided bouts the whole night. Pettis was using excellent angles, moving in and out with jabs and hooks, not letting Cerrone get anything off. He even threw a little “Showtime” flair, throwing a knee off of the cage in close quarters. And he landed it. Right after that, Pettis landed a hard kick to the body, flattening Cerrone and getting the first round TKO victory.

Possible matchups for Pettis: I’m pretty sure that Pettis should get title shot after this win. Ben Henderson and Gilbert Melendez will be fighting for the lightweight belt at UFC on Fox 7, Pettis deserves the winner.

Possible matchups for Cerrone: So far his two title eliminator fights in the UFC have gone horribly wrong. He has been completely dominated in both those fights and both of those fights were grudge matches. If he ever gets into another title eliminator, he needs it to be against someone he doesn’t hate. I would like to see him fight Jim Lauzon, who is coming off of a fight of the night decision loss to Jim Miller.

Rampage Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: Rampage has had an amazing career, but this is Teixeira’s time. Rampage showed fantastic head movement and landed a lot of amazing combinations. But while he landed good combinations, Teixeira nearly finished Rampage on multiple occasions with big hooks that would put a majority of the fighters in the UFC unconscious. Rampage visibly gassed out in the second and Teixeira easily beat him to a easy unanimous decision win.

Possible matchups for Teixeira: With this huge win for Teixeira, he has emerged as a very dangerous contender. It’s hard to say who he should fight next but I would like to see him fight Phil Davis if he really wants to prove himself as a top contender.

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: When you put a title fight on the Fox network, you want to have an exciting back and forth affair that is exciting everywhere that the fight goes. That is exactly what this fight was. Johnson showed that he did have the slight speed advantage but Dodson instantly imposed his power. With a fast paced feeling out process in the first round, the second was all Dodson. He dropped Johnson about three times, nearly finishing him on the third occasion. Johnson showed amazing heart, the heart of a champion, as he persevered and came back even stronger than he did in the first. Johnson began to batter Dodson with knees and punches throughout the fourth and fifth rounds. It was fantastic show of heart from both fighters. Dodson will get a rematch in the near future.

Possible matchups for Johnson: The flyweight title picture is a tad precarious at the moment following this fight. Will Johnson fight John Moraga next? Or will he fight the winner of Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall? Maybe even a fight with Darrel Montague if the UFC signs him. All of these fights make sense for Johnson and they all have the chance to be a fight of the year.

Possible matchups for Dodson: There is no doubt in my mind that Dodson will get another title shot in the near future. The fight was so close and he showed so much heart that the UFC will grant him another title shot with another win or two. Chris Cariaso is coming off of a third round submission loss to John Moraga and he would make a great matchup for Dodson.

UFC on Fox 6: Johnson vs. Dodson Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: Speed; the one word that is surrounding this whole title fight. Who will be the faster one? Who will have the advantage on the ground? These are two most important factors entering the fight. And the man to have the advantage in both is the champion, Demetrious Johnson. He has the better footwork, wrestling, and submissions. Dodson has the power to knock anyone at featherweight and under on their butt, but overall, Johnson is the more well-rounded fighter. Keeping distance away and moving in and out of Dodson’s power punches with some takedowns mixed in should be Johnson’s gameplan. It will be an extremely close fight, but Johnson’s superior skills will earn him the nod = Johnson via unanimous decision (48-47). My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Rampage Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: I really try not to fall into hype trains, and mostly fail, but I don’t think that Teixeira is a hype train. He is a legitimate contender and can defeat almost anybody at 205. A year ago, I would have picked Rampage hands down, but his lack of motivation is a turn off. He said he was motivated heading into his fight with Bader, but he was dominated. His heart just isn’t in it anymore, and Teixeira is just heading into his prime = Teixeira via unanimous decision (30-26).

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: BARNBURNER ALERT: When having two of the most entertaining guys in MMA facing off, it typically leads to an amazing fight. When you add in the fact that they really dislike each other and that there’s a title shot on the line, you have yourselves a fight of the year in the works. That is exactly what this fight is. Possibly the most interesting variable heading into this fight is the fact that both of these guys are really good off their back. They love the triangle and are very good at sweeps. One of Cerrone’s last outings against Jeremy Stephens was arguably the most impressive Donald Cerrone that we have ever seen, and he fought with a horrific intestinal problem. If you compare the difference in both Pettis’ and Cerrone’s last fights with Jeremy Stephens, it’s completely different. Pettis arguably lost to Jeremy and Cerrone absolutely destroyed him. Though this is MMA and anything can happen, but Cerrone is just too hard to bet against = Cerrone via split decision. My 1st pick for FOTN!

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: I really, really hope that this is a number one contender’s bout. Lamas derailed Hioki’s title hopes with a shocking (though not to me) decision win over him. Koch is one of the more promising fighters in MMA today, possessing rare finishing ability for a featherweight. Koch’s one blemish to his record comes at the hands of Chad Mendes, a very strong wrestler. Guess what Lamas is. Yep, a very strong wrestler, and arguably stronger than Mendes. Lamas could possibly be the strongest featherweight in the UFC. Lamas’ last three wins are much more impressive than Koch’s. Koch has beaten Francisco Rivera by 1st round TKO (a bantamweight), Raphael Assuncao by 1st round KO (also a bantamweight), and a debatable win over Jonathan Brookins (who is semi-retired at the moment). Lamas murdered Matt Grice by 1st round TKO (a decent wrestler, nothing insane), demolished Cub Swanson by second round arm triangle (who is on a three fight win streak all by (T)KO) and an upset over former number 1 contender in Hatsu Hioki. Also, Koch hasn’t fought in 15 months = Lamas via unanimous decision.

Prelims

TJ Grant vs. Matt Wiman: I’m having a lot trouble picking between these two guys. Both have looked fantastic lately against very solid competition. It’s fun to see two of the more underrated guys in the UFC fight to finally become someone relevant in the title picture. When breaking down the aspects of MMA, Grant has the advantage overall. His striking is improving rapidly and looked great against Evan Dunham, his wrestling is better and his submission game is very dangerous. Wiman is a bit of a wild card though; he takes everyone by surprise, he certainly did against Paul Sass in his last outing. With them being such similar fighters talent-wise, I’m leaning towards the stronger fighter = Grant via split decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

Hatsu Hioki vs. Clay Guida: I don’t really see as to why people are having so much trouble predicting this fight. The last person that Hioki fought was Ricardo Lamas, a strong and powerful wrestler with solid striking. Guida is a strong and powerful wrestler with fantastic striking. Hioki has looked terrible in the UFC thus far (minus his fight with Palaszewski, he looked fantastic) and Guida is almost a better version of Lamas = Guida via unanimous decision.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: I love Matyushenko but his days are quickly coming to an end. He can’t hang with solid fighters anymore. Bader is still a contender and he will rebound from his last loss to Machida with a violent KO, or a grinding decision = Bader via 1st round KO. MY pick for KOOTN!

Mike Russow vs. Shawn Jordan: Even though Jordan’s last fight with Kongo was truly one of the worst fights that my eyes have ever beheld, he is still an exciting prospect. He is crazy athletic for a heavyweight, which is always a plus in MMA. Russow is a very different fighter though. He isn’t particularly athletic, but he knows how to get the job done. His superior grappling will grind Jordan out to a decision win. I just hope the UFC keeps Jordan around to show his potential = Russow via unanimous decision.

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf = Krauss via 1st round submission (armbar). My pick for FOTN!

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer = Natal via 3rd round submission.

David Mitchell vs. Simeon Thoresen = Thoresen via unanimous decision.

Dave's Picks

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: This will be the fastest fight any of us will ever see. These guys might be the fastest fighters in MMA, but I think this fight will be pretty similar to Johnson vs. Benavidez. I see Johnson outwrestling Dodson due to being the faster fighter and having the better wrestling. I do think Dodson will be stronger and have more punching power but other than that I think Johnson has every advantage. This will be close, just like every Johnson fight, but the champ will take it due to superior wrestling and speed. = Johnson by unanimous decision.

Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: This fight should be a brawl. Glover is going to kill Rampage and it’s going to be awesome. Rampage has been easily handled in his last two fights and hasn’t fought in 11 months. Glover hasn’t lost since 2005…and is coming off of two huge wins in the UFC. Be prepared to see a legend of the sport get totally outclassed on the feet and on the ground. This will be brutal and if you are a Rampage fan, this is the fight for you to go to the kitchen and grab another slice of pizza until you hear Goldy say “It’s all over!” = Glover by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: Definitely my pick for Fight of the Night! These guys are elite kick boxers and good on the ground. This fight will be incredibly fun to watch but very hard to predict. Pettis has shown a weakness to strikers and wrestlers who are aggressive and have good submission defense. (Stephens, Guida, Ben Henderson, Palaszewski). Cerrone can struggle against strikers who are diverse in their attacks (like Ben Henderson, Nate Diaz) and Pettis is incredibly diverse in his attack. Pettis hasn’t fought in almost a year and Cerrone’s camp (Jackson) has been studying Pettis for some time now. This is so hard to pick but I’m going with the Jackson camp. = Cerrone by split decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: This is another possible Fight of the Night candidate. Sam and I were the only people picking Lamas against Hioki and he ended up beating him handily. Koch has his work cut out for him due to the fact that Lamas is one hell of a wrestler. Koch’s only loss is to a wrestler (Chad Mendes). My only concern in picking Lamas is that his two loses have been by KO. Koch has the ability to KO anyone at 145 pounds. I think the safer bet is to always go with the fighter most likely to control the fight then it is to pick the fighter that might have a chance at a KO = Lamas by unanimous decision.

Prelims

T.J. Grant vs. Matt Wiman: This fight should be an awesome one as well. Grant should have the better wrestling and striking but Wiman definitely has the better submissions and fight IQ. I think Grant can use his superior size advantage to bully Wiman for 3 rounds but I wouldn’t be shocked if Wiman found a way to win. Both of these guys are highly underrated and I can’t wait to see this one. = Grant by unanimous decision.

Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki: This fight depends solely on Hioki’s takedown defense and submission offense. I see Guida pushing the pace and roughing Hioki up against the fence while Hioki tries to find a submission. This is a very hard fight to pick but I just have not been impressed with Hioki at all since he joined the UFC = Guida by split decision.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: This fight should be exciting. I am a huge fan of both guys. I think Bader will just be too big and strong for Vlad. I think that Vlad has the chance to KO Bader but I believe Bader will out wrestle Vlad for a decision win = Bader by unanimous decision.

Shawn Jordan vs. Mike Russow = Jordan by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf = Krauss by unanimous decision.

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer = Natal by split decision.

David Mitchell vs. Simeon Thoresen = Thoresen by unanimous decision.

UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Silva Main Card Recap

The thunderous right hand.
Photo via Josh Hedges

The UFC delivers again. This event was yet another fantastic card on their small scale that introduced promising fighters, new title contenders, and hometown favorites prevailing in victory. Let's take a look at some of those bouts and some possible matchups for both the winners and losers.

Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards: This fight came as the biggest surprise to myself and many others. Neer was a huge favorite heading into this fight, and understandably so. Edwards was only 1-2 in his UFC career with his only win being over Jorge Lopez. Edwards really had something to prove. He went out there and backed Neer right up. Neer had to go for a takedown but ended up sticking his head right into a guillotine. Edwards cranked it and choked Neer unconscious at only 45 seconds into the fight. It was surprising and very impressive.

Possible matchups for Edwards: With this win, Edwards has become a very exciting prospect. A win like that over a guy like Neer can give you a huge step in your career. Kyle Noke, who is also coming off of a 45 second upset win over Charlie Brenneman, should face off with Edwards in a battle of exciting fighters to watch.

Possible matchups for Neer: Now with two losses in a row in which he was put to sleep in the opening frame, Neer may very well be released following this fight. If he isn’t, a fight with Chris Clements, who is coming off of a loss to Matt Riddle would be a fun loser goes home fight.

John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga: Although this fight wasn’t the explosive, crazy brawl we hoped for, it was a beautifully fought fight. Whatever Dodson’s gameplan was coming into this fight, it worked to a ”T”. Dodson was in and out landing nice hooks to Formiga and some solid kicks. Because of Dodson’s speed, Formiga wasn’t able to land anything. Eventually in the second round, after already dropping him before, Dodson landed a huge left hook that put Formiga on his butt. A few punches of ground and pound and Dodson became the number one contender at 125 pounds.

Possible matchups for Dodson: Before this fight, Dana announced that the winner would be the first to challenge Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight title. With Dodson having won the fight and becoming a title challenger, the first ever defense of the belt could be the fastest paced fight of all time. I am very excited to say the least.

Possible matchups for Formiga: The fight didn’t exactly go as planned for the Brazilian. Even though he lost this fight, he is still a top-5 flyweight in MMA. Another fighter who is almost a top-5 is Yasuhiro Urushitani and he will be fighting John Lineker. The winner should fight Formiga to get right back into title contention.

Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron: Both these guys really underwhelmed me in their performances on Saturday. Jake was very timid in attacking and Hieron followed suit. It almost felt like a 15 minute feeling out sparring session. Ellenberger ended up taking the decision, but I would not have argued if Jay won. Ellenberger was just not himself in this performance.

Possible matchups for Ellenberger: Just because you were finished in your last fight, which was a potential number one contenders match, doesn't mean you stop doing what got you there! Chael Sonnen has it right. Whatever got you to where you are doesn't mean you should change it up. Ellenberger needs to go back to what he did before he fought Hieron. Josh Koscheck was his original opponent at UFC 151 but Koscheck was injured and 151 was cancelled. The fight with Koscheck still makes perfect sense.

Possible matchups for Hieron: Despite the fact that he overwhelmed me, it was still impressive that he did arguably win over a top-10 welterweight. He says he still wants a big test but I don't think he is just ready. A fighter looking to become a top contender is Seth Baszynski. The winner between those two would deserve a top-10 or top-15 opponent.

Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva: Silva seemed to be the better fighter right when it started. Browne tried to throw some pizzazz but it was to no avail. Silva continue to pepper him with some leg kicks and at one point, Browne's knee seemed to have buckled. Silva took advantage of it and pushed him into the fence and landed one the biggest right hands that I have ever seen. It literally looked like he snapped Travis' neck. Browne fell to the ground and Silva landed a few more shots that eventually secured him the first round TKO win.

Possible matchups for Silva: Bigfoot looked awesome in this fight. Even though Browne's knee buckled half way through the first round, Silva still dominated every moment of the fight before hand. With this win, he has become one of the top guys in the UFC. Stefan Struve also pulled off a knockout-upset victory a week ago. A fight between the two could be a number one contenders match for Struve and a win could catapult Silva into a number one contenders match.

Possible matchups for Browne: This is only the first loss for Browne in his entire career. He is still one of the most promising fighters in MMA today. A man in a similar position as him is Stipe Miocic. Two promising facing off heavyweights is always entertaining.

UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Silva Predictions

Uhh... where is Dodson vs Formiga?

Sam's Picks

Main Card

Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva: I completely disagree with Dave on this fight. Some people are saying that Browne is riding some massive hype train, but that simply isn't the case. I feel that there isn't a hype train behind Travis; I feel that he is now a true title contender. Dave said that Browne wasn't able to handle the size of Kongo, but from what I remember, people thought that draw was a BS decision and that Browne should have won. That was early in his career anyway. He has been on an absolute roll as of late. Silva, on the over hand, has been massacred in his last two fights against two top-5 opponents in Daniel Cormier and Cain Velazquez. Although Travis Browne isn't on the same levels as those two guys, I have a feeling that he will one day become a top-5 heavyweight. Silva's isn't chin isn’t all that great and Browne has a lot of power. Travis will land a big shot and drop him early = Browne via 1st round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron: It's great to see Hieron back in the UFC. Since his release from the UFC, he has done great, he even arguably defeated top-10 welterweight Ben Askren. But Ellenberger is on another level to that of Hieron's latest competition. Ellenberger has the striking power and strength advantage while Hieron has a minor grappling advantage. Ellenberger should win this but I have this weird feeling that Hieron is going to submit him = Ellenberger via unanimous decision.

John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga: Finally, the debut of Formiga. I have been waiting for this for a long time and they didn't give him an easy fight. John Dodson is possibly the fastest fighter in the UFC not named Demetrious Johnson and he also holds a crazy amount of power for a guy that only stands at 5 feet 3 inches. This fight is the typical striker vs. grappler matchup that almost never disappoints, and it's a very hard one to predict. Dodson didn’t look all that great in his last outing while Formiga is riding a three fight win streak with wins over both Michael William Costa and Mamoru Yamaguchi. Both these guys will inevitably challenge for the 125-pound title but Dodson is in his prime right now. I see him dominating the first two rounds, but Formiga winning the third = Dodson via unanimous decision. My 1st pick for FOTN!

Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards: Yeah, this fight is on the main card. The only plausible reason this is, is because they are both very scrappy fighters. Edwards, though, is nowhere near the level of Neer. Even though Neer is coming off of a first round KO loss that was to a very underrated welterweight in Mike Pyle. Neer should dominate this fight everywhere it goes = Neer via 3rd round submission. My pick for SOTN!

Prelims

Yves Edwards vs. Jeremy Stephens = Stephens via 3rd round KO. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

Michael Johnson vs. Danny Castillo = Johnson via split decision.

Dennis Hallman vs. Thiago Tavares = Tavares via unanimous decision.

Shane Roller vs. Jacob Volkmann = Volkmann via split decision.

Diego Nunes vs. Bart Palaszewski = Nunes via split decision. My 3rd pick for FOTN!

Darren Uyenoyama vs. Phil Harris = Uyenoyama via unanimous decision.

Marcus LeVasseur vs. Carlo Prater = LeVasseur via unanimous decision.

Mike Pierce vs. Aaron Simpson = Pierce via split decision.

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Travis Browne vs. Antonio Silva: This fight should be interesting. We could see a crazy slobber knocker or a boring “stare affair” (I’m going to trademark that). Silva will be Browne’s toughest test. Silva has not been doing well, being brutally KO’d in his last two fights, but that was against much better opponents than Travis Browne. This fight will truly show us where Browne stands in the division. This fight is very tough for me because Silva has looked so bad and Browne has looked so good. But the determining factor for me is this: Browne has only beaten one big heavyweight in the last 2 years (Stefan Struve) and couldn’t handle Cheick Kongo’s size and strength. Silva is a massive human being with great grappling skills. I think Silva will out grapple Browne in a boring fight. = Silva by unanimous decision.

Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron: This is a strange fight to me. Jake is coming off of a big loss but that came at the end of a 6 fight rampage through the welterweight division. Hieron hasn’t fought in the UFC since losing to Jonathan Goulet in 2005. But Hieron has been on a tear but not against world-class opponents. I think Ellenberger will be faster, stronger and have better striking. Hieron might have the better wrestling but I think Ellenberger will take this fight handedly. = Ellenberger by unanimous decision.

John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga: This fight will be nuts. Dodson is one of the most entertaining fighters alive and Formiga has never disappointed either. I cannot wait for this one. The winner of this will be the first challenger to Demetrious Johnson’s brand new Flyweight belt. I am not sure if either of these guys can handle “Mighty Mouse” but we will find out soon enough. Dodson has beaten the tougher competition over the years but in order to win, he has to have better cardio then he showed in the Tim Elliot fight. Should be an interesting fight but I am going with the guy who is already 2-0 in the UFC = Dodson by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Josh Neer vs. Justin Edwards: Not sure why this is on the main card above the laast three prelim fights but whatever. This fight should be all Josh Neer. Neer got put out cold in his last fight but that was against a high level talent in Mike Pyle. Justin Edwards is nowhere near Pyle’s level. Edwards is not UFC quality and will get destroyed. = Neer by submission in round 1. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Prelims

Yves Edwards vs. Jeremy Stephens: Stephens by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Danny Castillo vs. Michael Johnson: Castillo by split decision.

Dennis Hallman vs. Thiago Tavares: Tavares by unanimous decision.

Shane Roller vs. Jacob Volkmann: Volkmann by unanimous decision.

Diego Nunes vs. Bart Palaszewski: Nunes by split decision.

Phil Harris vs. Darren Uyenoyama: Darren by unanimous decision.

Marcus LeVesseur vs. Carlo Prater: Prater by submission in round 2.

Mike Pierce vs. Aaron Simpson: Pierce by split decision.

MMA Flyweight Rankings: September Edition

As we here at CR continue our rankings, we are heading into the UFC’s smallest division: flyweight.

I was ecstatic when the UFC finally announced that they were bringing in the 125-pound division. It holds some of the best talent in the world and they were going unrecognized, that is, until now.

Since starting the 125-pound division, the UFC has signed several of the biggest names with in that weight class including Yasuhiro Urushitani, Jussier “Formiga” da Silva, Ulysses Gomez, and fan-favorite, Ian McCall. There are still a few left that have yet to be signed.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

10. John Moraga – This guy exploded onto the UFC scene. Going into his fight with former top-10 ranked Ulysses Gomez at UFC on Fox 4, he was a sizable underdog and a relative unknown. That all changed within 3:46. He blitzed Gomez and knocked him out in the first round. The guy looked like a world-beater and is definitely a guy to look out for in the coming years.

Look at that afro. Just look at it.

9. Mamoru Yamaguchi – Mamoru Yamaguchi is awesome. Enough said. The guy is one of the flashiest fighters in the world today and he is still a top-10 fighter. He holds a win over Yasuhiro Urushitani and has been fighting the best in the world for years now. He hasn’t fought since his last decision loss to Jussier da Silva back in August of 2011, but no news has reached of his retirement. Let’s hope he fights in the UFC before he hangs ‘em up.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

8. Darrel Montague – Darrel Montague is extremely well rounded. With a record of 11-2, he has 5 (T)KO wins and 4 submission wins. With his only two losses being to Ian McCall and the oversized Robbie Peralta, Montague still has world-class skills. He holds wins over Ulysses Gomez and Jeremy Bolt and has also had championship experience as his win over Gomez got him the belt at Tachi Palace fighting. He is the main guy in which the UFC still has yet to sign.

Photo via ProMMANow.com

7. Chris Cariaso – “Kamikaze” is insanely under appreciated. The guy was a solid bantamweight and fought fighters much larger than him like Takeya Mizugaki, Michael McDonald, Will Campuzano, and above all, Renan Barao. He beat both Mizugaki and Campuzano and his fight with McDonald was extremely close, no one would have argued if Cariaso won. After his win over Josh Ferguson in his flyweight debut, Cariaso should be only one win away from a title shot.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

6. Yasuhiro Urushitani – Although his UFC debut was far from impressive, Urushitani is still one of the best fighters in the world at 125. He holds wins over Yuki Shojo, Mamoru Yamaguchi, John Dodson, and two draws with Shinichi Kojima. He has amazing Muay Thai that should never be overlooked and although he lacks finishing ability (only 5 finishes in 19 wins) he has the skill to put anyone away at any moment.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

5. John Dodson – Although his last win over Tim Elliott wasn’t particularly spectacular; John Dodson is still one of the best in the world in his division. He’s beaten Tim Elliott, TJ Dillashaw, and John Moraga. With his incredible hand speed that also holds a ton of power, Dodson is one of the top guys up for a title shot. His next fight against Jussier da Silva is undoubtedly a top contender fight.

4. Jussier da Silva – When the news broke that Jussier da Silva was signed to the UFC, hardcore MMA fans around the world were saying to themselves, “finally”! Everyone expected him to be in the tournament that they held instead of Urushitani. He easily holds the best BJJ at 125 including wins over Michael William Costa (twice), Alexandre Pantoja Passidimo, Jose Maria Tome, Shinichi Kojima, Danny Martinez, and Mamoru Yamaguchi. His only loss in his 15-fight career is a decision loss to Ian McCall.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

3. Ian McCall – The former number-1 flyweight in the world, Ian McCall is quite a character. With the best mustache in MMA, possibly the world, Ian McCall’s skill is right up there with his mustache. He holds wins over Coty Wheeler, Dustin Ortiz, Darrel Montague, and Jussier da Silva. In his first fight with Demetrious Johnson, many people believe that he won, showing that he could also hold a win over the former number one contender at 135. With his only losses to the aforementioned Johnson, Charlie Valencia, and UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, Ian McCall is still one of the best fighters in the world at 125.

Photo via FightLink.com

2. Demetrious Johnson – Although his first fight with McCall was very controversial, the second meeting wasn’t. Johnson wasn’t necessarily very dominant, but Ian McCall was the number-1 guy at flyweight and Johnson beat him. His next fight with the number-1 guy will show who is the first flyweight champion in UFC history.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

1. Joseph Benavidez – Now, although Johnson did beat the number-1 guy at 125, his performance wasn’t extremely impressive in either fight. Benavidez was unbelievably impressive in his flyweight debut. Yasuhiro Urushitani was arguably top-3 and Benavidez dominated him and knocked him out at 11 seconds in the second round. Benavidez will be fighting Demetrious Johnson at UFC 152 for the first ever flyweight title in UFC history.

So what do you guys think? Let us know in the comments on what agreed or disagreed on.