They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. They should also say you can’t judge a fighter by their stature.
Saturday night was a big night for mixed martial arts when Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson defeated John Dodson to maintain the UFC Flyweight Championship on UFC on Fox 6.
Johnson walked away with not just the title, but also with something more important: He, along with Dodson, cemented the legitimacy of the 125-pound flyweight class.
No, flyweights may not have the devastating knockout power of a heavyweight, but that doesn’t make their fights any less exciting.
Johnson and Dodson showcased everything an MMA fight should strive to be. They mixed technical striking, explosive wrestling, solid grappling and the heart of men three times their size.
Yes, Johnson did land two illegal strikes and that should have lost him the fight or at least seen it to a draw, but that’s not the point here.
The point is that by winning Fight of the Night in the main event, they proved they belong.
Johnson and Dodson made it clear that just because flyweights can’t reach the tallest shelf in the kitchen, doesn’t mean they can’t fight as well as anyone in the world.
Reach the reporter at ejsmith7@asu.edu
