Demetrious Johnson
Age: 31
Nationality: American
MMA Record: 27-2-1
UFC Record: 15-1-1
Notable Wins: Joseph Benavidez, Henry Cejudo, John Moraga, John Dodson, Kyoji Horiguchi, Ian McCall, Wilson Reis
Notable Losses: Dominick Cruz, Brad Pickett
Last Fight: Submission win over Ray Borg
Fighter Profile: One of the greatest fighters in MMA history, Johnson has been on a historic tear ever since moving to flyweight back in 2012. He’s undefeated in 14 fights at 125lbs, including his current 13-fight win streak in the UFC which includes 11 title defenses over the who’s who of the flyweight division. An extraordinary talent, Johnson is an extremely well-rounded fighter who is good everywhere. His wrestling is his base but he also has really good striking on the feet and on the ground his submissions are incredible to watch. He also has amazing cardio and a great chin. Johnson is closing in on several UFC records and a second win over Cejudo will help get him there. Many are calling for Johnson to either move up to 135lbs after this bout or at least entertain the winner of the main event between TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt for the title, and while it’s possible that could happen, Johnson first has to go out there and beat Cejudo.
Henry Cejudo
Age: 31
Nationality: American
MMA Record: 12-2
UFC Record: 6-2
Notable Wins: Sergio Pettis, Wilson Reis, Jussier Formiga
Notable Losses: Demetrious Johnson, Joseph Benavidez
Last Fight: Decision win over Sergio Pettis
Fighter Profile: An Olympic wrestler, Cejudo has shown tremendous promise since entering the sport of mixed martial arts. In a short period of time Cejudo has gone from a prospect to a legitimate title contender. We already know his wrestling is amazing but he has really improved his striking and has become a fully-fledged mixed martial artist. Cejudo shows improvements every time we see him fight. Although he lost to and was stopped by Johnson in the first fight, perhaps a rematch may go differently. Considering how much more well-rounded Cejudo is now than when he was three years ago, maybe the UFC knows something and that’s why the rematch is happening. It will definitely be interesting to see if Cejudo can turn the tides on Johnson and get revenge for the first fight.
Fight Breakdown: We’ve already seen this fight once and there’s no reason to think the rematch is going to go any differently. Although it’s true that Cejudo has really improved since the first time he fought Johnson, it’s also true that Johnson himself has improved, and that’s scary for Cejudo considering he knocked him out in the first fight. Johnson is such a talent, capable of finishing the fight in a split second on the floor or on the feet. Cejudo is an excellent wrestler with improving striking, but he’s still not even close to being as well-rounded as Johnson is. No one at flyweight is. No one has beaten Johnson at 125lbs and I can’t see Cejudo doing it either. I think Johnson has another tremendous performance and defends his title with a late-round stoppage over Cejudo.
Prediction: Demetrious Johnson via submission
