John “The Magician” Dodson (21-11 MMA, UFC)
Flyweight (125lbs): 5-2 (UFC), Two-time UFC Flyweight Title Challenger
Bantamweight (135lbs): 5-4 (UFC), The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 Winner
John Dodson burst on the scene in the UFC in late 2011 after he beat all three of his TUF Season 14 opponents before winning the show with a first-round stoppage over TJ Dillashaw. The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 was held at bantamweight and featured some very promising upcoming UFC stars and a future champion.
Immediately following his time on TUF, Dodson moved down a weight class to flyweight and quickly found success defeating Tim Elliott and Jussier Formiga. Dodson earned what would be his first attempt at the flyweight title in early 2013 following that pair of wins. Unfortunately for ‘The Magician’, he would lose a unanimous decision to one of the best of all time Demetrious Johnson. After losing his title shot Dodson again went on an impressive streak at flyweight. This time Dodson racked up a 3-fight win streak before earning another crack at the belt. But John would again lose to Demetrious Johnson in a second failed attempt to capture the UFC flyweight title.
After the second title loss, Dodson moved up to the bantamweight division. And though Dodson is just 4-4 since, he has fought some of the best fighters that the division has to offer, including current champion Petr Yan. Dodson is turning 36 years old next month and has shown no signs of slowing down, and even expressed some potential interest in moving back down to flyweight.
