UFC 191 Main Card Recap: John Dodson Had No Answers For Demetrious Johnson In Rematch

Demetrious Johnson (23-2) came into the fight with John Dodson (17-7) saying one thing, that this was not a rematch for him as he already beat John Dodson. What many wanted to see was who improved from the first meeting between the two and clearly it was the champion. You name it, he was able to do it.

The fight was initiated with a sneaky right jab that Dodson never saw. Relentless pressure of Johnson also stifled the offense of Dodson, who never got the clean shot he was hoping for. Demetrious even mixed in a little flash and hit him with a spinning back elbow in the second round, followed by some taunts. Dodson stuffed every takedown early, but as we got into the later rounds the persistence of Johnson showed through. He repeatedly setup Dodson with the jab and that allowed him to hit the takedowns. A tired and frustrated Dodson kept a smile on his face but he was clearly outmatched and needed a finish to take the victory. That would never surface as a few more big slams by Johnson would seal the deal. Not to take away anything from the champion, but this was a quick turnaround for “The Magician” after a performance that he didn't look to stellar in. The question still looms on who will finally give us the fight we want to see against “Mighty Mouse,” but for now we will just relish in his dominant performances.

The fight between Frank Mir (18-10) and Andrei Arlovski (25-10) may have been a decade in the making but more than likely didn't live up to the hype. After a pretty exciting first round the two heavyweights slowed down tremendously. The second round seemed to go in the favor of Mir, which would have made the rounds even heading into the last. The third would have been very hard to judge as both fighters were able to land some crucial blows that favored both parties. Frank seemed very confident going into the decision, even though it looked as if Arlovski could have possibly stole that last round. That would be the case as the judges favored the fight for Arlovski. This is another win in the resurgence of his career and more than likely will get the call if the UFC decides at the last minute not go with Cain and Werdum.

Not too many expected the fight between Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (20-5) and Jimi "Poster Boy" Manuwa (15-2) to go the distance. We were all proven right as a vicious right counter from Rumble sent Manuwa to the canvas early in the second round. In the first Anthony came out in his normal reckless abandon and surprised many by taking Manuwa to the mat. Even though the round ended with both fighters on their feet, you could tell it was only a matter of time. A kick to the body followed by a counter with the right landed on the jaw of Manuwa and referee Jason Herzog jumped in for the stoppage. Rumble is still one of the scariest men to walk in the octagon and it’s possible he may get one more shot at the title sooner than later.

Corey Anderson (6-1) is one of the larger light heavyweights in the division and he would need all his length to deal with Jan Blachowicz (18-5). After a few hard leg kicks to the body, Anderson decided to take the fight to the mat and work a vicious ground and pound on the European fighter. The second and third rounds would go in the favor of Anderson, who truly capitalized after a tired Blachowicz seemed exhausted after the first. It was not the most entertaining fight for the fans but that mattered little to The Ultimate Fighter winner as he worked a tough game plan and dominated Jan in convincing fashion. Anderson still has a way to go but give credit to the young fighter for doing what was needed to win in the biggest spotlight in his young career.

The relentless pressure of Paige VanZant (6-1) was once again on display. The plan for tonight's fight was the clinch. Alex Chambers (5-3) showed her durability early but the constant pressure and muay thai clinch was too much for Chambers to handle. VanZant dropped Chambers in the second round and it seemed as if John McCarthy was going to stop the fight. Chambers withstood the barrage and survived until the third. In the final round VanZant landed an overhand right that stunned Chambers, and then she went to work with the ground attack. After a few shots to the head of Chambers, VanZant rolled over into an armbar. It was a nice submission victory for the scrappy Alpha Male member. Clearly she will get someone in the top ten next.

UFC had very impressive preliminary fights with victories by Ross Pearson (18-9), John Lineker (26-7), Raquel Pennington (6-5) and Tiago Dos Santos (20-5). Up next for the UFC is UFC Fight Barnett - Nelson on September 26th. The full results from UFC 191 are listed below.