Demetrious Johnson only needed two minutes and eight seconds to finish Joseph Benavidez at UFC on Fox 9 this past Saturday night. This nationally televised platform has officially the stomping ground for the Xbox clad fighter who has run off three consecutive title defenses, with each being more impressive than the last.
The closing moments of the fight saw Benavidez throw a left while Johnson threw a right at the same time. Johnson landed first by a mile and sent the Team Alpha Male fighter crashing to the canvas as if someone had pulled the plug. Landing first and often is the hallmark of Johnson’s approach as his uncanny speed is something you can’t teach or duplicate. Benavidez was expected to win their first encounter and rule the division with an iron fist. Expectations were turned upside down as it turns out to be the too fast to handle Johnson, who has claimed flyweight supremacy.
Speaking of the flyweight class, who’s next? Benavidez goes to the back of the line, Scott Jorgensen’s flyweight debut was met with defeat, and Ian McCall welcomes Brad Pickett to the division in March. Dustin Ortiz maybe the next contender if he can make it four straight against John Moraga in January.
“Mighty Mouse” is well on his way to becoming the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and he is only getting better. This is scary to comprehend when you are talking about a world champion. Witnessing the fruits of his labor along with the current state of his division makes it likely that we are in the midst of the next great championship run.