UFC on FX 5 Friday, October 5 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota UFC Flyweight Contender John Dodson (-215) Profile: A former New Mexico State wrestling champion and part-time Chuck E. Cheese employee, John Dodson (13-5) fell in love with MMA after Greg Jackson recruited him in 2003 due to his impressive wrestling background. With Jackson guiding him, Dodson has already seen much success in MMA, winning The Ultimate Fighter 14 despite moving up a weight class to bantamweight. The 28-year-old is currently undefeated at 2-0 in the big leagues and in line for a title shot against flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson with another victory. For a smaller fighter, Dodson has KO power in his hands to go along with his wrestling base and adequate submission skills. He has a bottomless gas tank, and Jackson has ingrained a solid amount of ring savvy to put him in position to become a contender for years to come. UFC Flyweight Contender Jussier Formiga (+175) Profile: The exciting Brazilian flyweight Jussier “Formiga” da Silva (14-1) makes his UFC debut against Dodson with a promise that the winner gets a shot at newly crowned flyweight champion Johnson. Some would think this is a bit much for a newcomer, but the UFC flyweight division is shallow, and Formiga is the real deal. The 27-year-old is the former Shooto: South America flyweight champion, and his only career loss came at Tachi Palace Fights to fellow UFC flyweight contender Ian McCall. Besides that lone setback, Formiga has built quite a combat resume with seven submissions to compliment his seven decisions among his 14 wins. Opening UFC on FX 5 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas made Dodson a solid -215 favorite (bet $215 to win $100) while Formiga opened as a +175 underdog (bet $175 to win $100) according to the MMA odds. This would probably be a much more even matchup from a betting perspective if we knew more about what to expect from Formiga, who will be fighting an American for just the third time in his career. With 11 of his 15 pro fights also taking place in his home country of Brazil, Formiga is a bit of a mystery man yet one who is certainly capable of pulling off the upset in this situation. Dodson is 6-1 in his last seven bouts and was known in the TUF house as a goofball, but he shut up his critics by taking home the title as a similar underdog with a stunning first-round TKO of favorite T.J. Dillashaw. When Dodson takes his opponents seriously, he is very tough to beat. This is an enormous opportunity for both fighters, as each of them is ranked in the Top 10 of the MMAOB MMA Fighter Rankings and knows that a shot at Johnson’s title will be awarded to the winner. That motivation should be enough to bring out their best and possibly challenge for Fight of the Night honors.
