A former opponent of Demetrious Johnson believes he could take the UFC flyweight title from Alexandre Pantoja.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is experiencing significant growth. At a recent `Champions Summit` press conference, the promotion unveiled four new tournaments, notably a $25 million open-weight competition, and confirmed the signing of four former UFC fighters.
BKFC regularly schedules championship bouts, including an upcoming interim flyweight title fight between Gee Perez and Andrew Strode, set to headline BKFC 78.
The announcement of an interim title surprised the current BKFC flyweight champion, John Dodson, who holds an undefeated 5-0 record in the promotion.
Previously, Dodson was a top contender in MMA`s lighter divisions, coming close to defeating then-champion and legendary fighter Demetrious Johnson in their initial 2013 encounter.
Despite not having competed in the UFC since facing current bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in 2020, Dodson feels he could still compete at the highest level of MMA.
John Dodson Confidently Predicts Knockouts Over UFC Stars
Asked about his view on the current UFC landscape, Dodson commented:
“Honestly, I could go in there and knock out [Alexandre] Pantoja,” Dodson stated in an interview.
Pantoja recently defended his title for the fourth time at UFC 317, securing a dominant submission victory over Kai Kara-France. He is currently on an eight-fight winning streak and holds the #5 spot in the UFC`s pound-for-pound rankings.
Despite being known for his grappling, Pantoja has never been stopped by knockout or submission in his 35 professional fights.
Nevertheless, Dodson expressed confidence in his ability to defeat both Pantoja and the likely next challenger, top contender Joshua Van.
Regarding Van, Dodson asserted, “That Joshua Van guy… people talk about his knockout power. I guarantee you my Filipino power can knock out his Filipino power.”
Van, aged 23, holds a 15-2 professional record and recently earned a significant victory over former title challenger Brandon Royval at UFC 317.
The BKFC champion suggested that a return to the UFC is still a possibility, stating:
“That door can always be reopened.”
He explained his plan:
“I just need to keep winning, deliver dominant performances in BKFC, and also potentially return to Japan to handle some business there.”
BKFC Champion John Dodson Calls Interim Title Creation `Stupid`
Following the upcoming BKFC 78 event, the promotion will have two flyweight champions.
The victor of the Gee Perez vs. Andrew Strode bout at BKFC 78 is expected to face Dodson in a title unification fight.
Dodson`s last BKFC title defense resulted in a draw over a year ago, and he hasn`t competed for the promotion since. In the interim, he had two fights against Takaki Soya under the RIZIN banner in Japan.
BKFC President David Feldman has previously indicated his disapproval of his champions competing in other promotions, notably stripping lightweight champion Franco Tenaglia after he participated in an MMA fight.
In Dodson`s case, however, BKFC appears to have opted for establishing an interim champion rather than stripping him of his belt.
Speaking at the BKFC press conference, Dodson commented on the situation:
“First of all, I think it’s stupid that they’re creating an interim title when I am an active champion.”
He added:
“I’m literally waiting to fight anyone.”
“I actually asked to fight both of the guys competing for the interim title. I`ll just fight the winner…”
Neville Whittle