TUF champion John Dodson is back inside of the Octagon at UFC 228, facing top ranked Jimmie Rivera in a bantamweight division affair.
A shocker occurred at UFC 227 when Henry Cejudo defeated Demetrious Johnson to win the UFC Flyweight Title and Dodson didn’t expect that to happen.
“I expected DJ to retain the title because I went to a concert instead of watching it, I already figured who I thought was going to win. I though TJ (Dillashaw) was going to defeat Cody (Garbrandt) and DJ was going to go ahead and beat Henry, then we’re at the concert and we’re sitting there chillin’ and my phones blowing up. I was like ‘what are you guys doing,” it was like ‘DJ just lost and you can take the title.’ I was like ‘I don’t even fight in that weight class anymore,’” says Dodson in an exclusive interview with Fightful’s James Lynch.
Dodson and Johnson have fought twice before, with “Mighty Mouse” picking up the wins at UFC On Fox 6 and UFC 191.
The TUF alumni can put himself into title contention in a crowded UFC Bantamweight Division and Dodson has a simple plan to get the win at UFC 228.
“The simplest way I can put it, we touch gloves and I continue to hit him until he falls down and then I get my hand raised. I know it sounds like a generic term, but the way that it is, I’m gonna move faster than he is and I’m gonna hit harder than he does. When he tries to take me down, I’m gonna sit there and laugh,” says Dodson.
UFC 228 takes place on Saturday, September 8 from the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas with Tyron Woodley and Darren Till headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
