There is something special about an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on a holiday weekend, if only because it allows leeway to cure the dreadful two-day hangover. The Smartest Guy at the Bar -- not to mention his liver -- is thankful for the opportunity to enjoy some fights in Las Vegas while keeping his chances of making it to work on Monday at around 90 percent. The stakes are doubled considering the flyweight title fight at UFC 191 on Saturday goes down the same weekend as college football kicks off. Hopefully Alabama-Wisconsin ends with enough time left to enjoy watching three current or former champions and three “Ultimate Fighter” winners perform.
HOW WE GOT HERE: 952 days after the two first tangled in the Octagon, flyweight king Demetrious Johnson defends his strap against top contender John Dodson in a repeat of their UFC on Fox 6 clash from 2013. It was a tough first title defense for “Mighty Mouse,” as he recovered from three knockdowns in the first eight minutes before winning a decision. At the time, no one knew it would stand as his most difficult bout as champion. Johnson has not found a real challenge since, finishing four of the next five challengers, with a lopsided decision against Ali Bagautinov as the outlier ... There is a ton of experience in the co-main event, where former UFC heavyweight champions Andrei Arlovski and Frank Mir face off. They earned their high-profile slot after each scored back-to-back first-round knockouts.
THE PERFECT FIGHT: Johnson-Dodson may not dominate the barbershop conversation, unless that barbershop is full of fighters. The Smartest Guy at the Bar hates the term “real fight fan.” Don’t tell me what to like, and I won’t tell you what to like. However, if your fight conversation revolves around the elements inside the Octagon and not outside of it, this is for you. Let us set the stage: The UFC 191 main event pits one of the sport’s most dominant champions against the one guy who has proven he can beat him. Because Johnson took over late in their first fight, fans tend to forget how close that fight really was early on. Both fighters are in their primes, and they are the two fastest guys in the sport. They have identical height (5-foot-3), reach (66 inches) and leg reach (35 inches). Two legendary coaches corner each fighter. One is a pressuring, well-rounded game plan master, the other a lightning-quick counter striker with power and frustratingly effective takedown defense. Making things even more interesting, Dodson’s girlfriend gave birth to their daughter on Sept. 1. This bout has everything for which a fight fan could possibly hope, except hype.
Live On Pay-Per View
UFC 191- Johnson vs Dodson 2
Price : $ 4.95
Saturday,September 05, 2015
MGM Grand Garden Arena
Las Vegas,Nevada
10 pm ET.