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Dodson Finds Time in Busy Schedule to Defend Title

Originally posted on BoxingNews.com | Last updated 2/2/24

John Dodson is just like every other working man. Fighting mixed martial arts is still his passion. But Dodson has also found a home in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships in addition to fighting for Rizin. Dodson, 39, has proven that he isn’t ready to slow down just yet.

Dodson made history by winning the inaugural BKFC Flyweight Championship last August. He knocked out JR Ridge in 1 minute 49 seconds to earn the belt. Dodson will make his first defense of the belt at BKFC 59 on March 29th at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Dodson defending the belt would be another fun milestone in a career of cool moments for the veteran fighter. Dodson is lucky to have another way to earn income and promotions willing to let him fight outside of their events. All Dodson has to do from one job to the other is take off his gloves.

The former UFC title challenger has proven he still has plenty left in the tank. Online boxing news shows that no opponent can take Dodson lightly at this stage of his career.

Dodson Fights Way Up the Ladder

Breaking MMA news shows this year marks the 20th year in professional fights for Dodson. Dodson’s first MMA fight came in September 2004 when he submitted Zac White at a Desert Extreme Event in 2004. With Dodson being a smaller fighter, the flyweight limit is 125 pounds, there weren’t a lot of opportunities at major promotions in MMA organizations at first.

Dodson would fight primarily in the lower divisions of the sport until being invited to join The Ultimate Fighter show to earn a UFC contract. The UFC announced it was starting a flyweight division in 2012. However, when Dodson competed on the reality TV show, he entered the bantamweight tournament instead.

Dodson would win The Ultimate Fighter 14 by knocking out future champion T.J. Dillashaw 1:54 into the first round in December 2011. A stay at bantamweight wasn’t where Dodson hoped to be.

Back to Being a Fly Guy

Immediately after beating Dillashaw, Dodson dropped down in weight to fight fellow flyweight contenders Tim Elliott and Jussier Formiga. Dodson earned his first championship opportunity in the UFC following wins over both men. But Dodson has the misfortune of reaching the top at the time of one of the most dominant champions in UFC history.

No one in the UFC figured out how to handle Demetrious Johnson until he made 11 title defenses. Dodson was the first man to challenge Johnson after he initially won the title and lost a five-round decision in January 2013.

Dodson would bounce back with three more wins, including two by knockout. However, a second title challenge against Johnson looked like the first one. Dodson couldn’t keep up with the well-rounded Johnson and lost a unanimous decision at UFC 191.

While Johnson won the only two meetings between the men, he said publicly that his rivalry with Dodson was his favorite during his time in MMA. The power that Dodson possessed didn’t make life easy for Johnson.

Dodson would hang around in the UFC until 2020, bouncing between flyweight and bantamweight. Following a loss to Merab Dvalishvili in August 2020, Dodson was cut by the UFC.

Rizin Gives Dodson a Chance

Even in a shrinking MMA marketplace with Bellator being absorbed by PFL, Dodson was able to find work by signing with Rizin. Dodson found success in his new promotion right away. Dodson knocked out Hideo Tokoro at Rizin 40 in December 2022. He followed that up with a decision win over Tatsuki Saomoto before losing to Hiromasa Ougikubo last December.

Dodson is 24-14 in his career. He has won 11 fights by knockout but isn’t always a favorite on the judges’ scorecards. In 25 of Dodson’s career fights that have gone to a decision, only 11 have come back in his favor.

Dominican Fighter Tries to Steal Dodson’s Thunder

Dodson has found BKFC to be a good fit for him. He debuted in the promotion at BKFC by stopping former UFC fighter Ryan Benoit in 40 seconds. He then knocked out Jarod Grant to earn a shot at a championship against Ridge. Ridge was no match for Dodson either, who won the title with his third straight first-round knockout.

Dagoberto Aguero, a fighter from the Dominican Republic, will be an interesting next challenge for Dodson. Aguero isn’t a former MMA fighter moonlighting in a boxing ring. Aguero is a professional boxer who has 17 fights on his record.

While Aguero’s competition has been against fighters of various skill levels, he has the standup to make life difficult for Dodson. When Augero debuted in the BKFC, he showed he had power in his hands like Dodson.

Aguero knocked out Chance Wilson in the third round of his debut fight. Dodson will need to be on his toes to keep up with someone who has primarily focused on boxing throughout his career. While bare knuckle is different as there aren’t gloves slowing down the fighters’ hands, having good technique can swing a fight.

BKFC May be Dodson’s Best Chance for Success

Dodson is inching closer to 40, which is an interesting time period for many fighters. In MMA, not many men have found too much success at the highest levels after 40. Glover Teixeira won a championship in the UFC but never defended it. Dodson still seems to have a passion for fighting and has found an organization in the BKFC that appreciates him.

Dodson’s brother also fights for BKFC, providing a nice family connection. With BKFC offering championships in several weight classes, the organization is starting to get its feet underneath it and show some legitimacy. If Dodson can prove his boxing skills are still at the top level, he could find himself entrenched in a nice title run in BKFC, according to recent boxing news.

By Dean McHugh.

This article first appeared on BoxingNews.com and was syndicated with permission.

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