John Dodson (fighter) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Dodson |
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|---|---|
| Born | September 26, 1984 Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States |
| Other names | The Magician |
| Residence | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States |
| Height | 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) |
| Weight | 125 lb (57 kg; 8.9 st) |
| Division | Flyweight Bantamweight |
| Reach | 66 in (168 cm) |
| Style | Gaidojutsu, Boxing |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Fighting out of | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States |
| Team | Jackson's MMA |
| Rank | Black belt in Gaidojutsu |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 38 |
| Wins | 24 |
| By knockout | 11 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 11 |
| Losses | 14 |
| By decision | 14 |
John Dodson (born September 26, 1984) is an American athlete who competes in mixed martial arts (MMA) and bare-knuckle boxing. He is known as "The Magician" because of his quick moves. John fights in the flyweight division for Rizin Fighting Federation and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. He is currently the first-ever BKFC Flyweight Champion. John has been a professional MMA fighter since 2004. He became famous for fighting in the Southwest United States. He also won the TV show The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller and fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for nine years. He even challenged for a UFC title twice.
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Personal life
John Dodson was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He grew up there and later moved to Edgewood with his family. He went to Moriarty High School in Moriarty. John is half African-American and half Filipino.
In high school, John was very active in sports. He competed in track, football, and wrestling. He was a two-time state champion in wrestling. After graduating in 2003, he went to the University of New Mexico. He also worked at a local Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant.
John's mother raised him and his brother, Eric, by herself. His favorite Filipino food is Pancit, which is a noodle dish. John has two daughters, Delilah Skye and Aurora Rose, with his wife Chelsea.
Mixed martial arts career
John Dodson started training in mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2002. He was asked to join by Chris Luttrell and Greg Jackson because he was a great wrestler. After his first day, he loved the sport and trained every day with Jackson.
John first competed in a grappling tournament and won. A few months later, he won another submission tournament. Six months after that, he had his first amateur fight. He had one more amateur fight before becoming a professional. His first pro fight was in Japan against a top flyweight fighter, Yasuhiro Urushitani. John lost that fight by decision.
Since there weren't many fights available in the flyweight division, John also started fighting in featherweight and bantamweight. He had a record of 3 wins and 2 losses before fighting Clint Godfrey. John won that fight, which helped him get chosen for a reality TV show called Tapout Reality.
John later fought for the Ultimate Warrior Challenge (UWC) promotion. He had a record of 1 win and 1 loss there. He then got a chance to fight for the UWC flyweight title. He lost a very close fight to Pat Runez. At UWC 8, John beat Jesse Riggleman by unanimous decision.
The Ultimate Fighter
In 2011, John Dodson joined the UFC to compete on a TV show called The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller. This show helps new fighters get into the UFC. In the first episode, John fought Brandon Merkt to earn a spot in the Ultimate Fighter house. John won by TKO in the first round.
John was chosen to be on Team Mayhem. He was the first bantamweight fighter picked for the team. He defeated John Albert by decision to move to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, John fought his teammate, Johnny Bedford. John won by knockout in the second round. This win put him in the finals and also earned him an extra $25,000 for "Knockout of the Season."
Ultimate Fighting Championship
John made his official UFC debut on December 3, 2011. He fought T.J. Dillashaw in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 14. John won the fight by TKO in the first round. This made him the first Bantamweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter. He also received $40,000 for "Knockout of the Night."
For his next fight, John moved back to the flyweight division. He was supposed to fight Darren Uyenoyama, but Uyenoyama got hurt. So, John fought Tim Elliott instead. John won this fight by unanimous decision.
On October 5, 2012, John faced Jussier Formiga. He won this fight by TKO in the second round.
First title shot
John Dodson got his first chance to fight for a UFC title on January 26, 2013. He faced the UFC Flyweight champion, Demetrious Johnson. This was a big moment for John, as he was the first Ultimate Fighter contestant from his season to fight for a championship. Even though he knocked Johnson down twice, John lost the fight by unanimous decision. This exciting fight earned both fighters "Fight of the Night" honors.
John then fought Darrell Montague on October 19, 2013. He won by knockout in the first round. This win also earned him another "Knockout of the Night" award.
He was supposed to fight Scott Jorgensen later that year, but John had a knee injury and had to pull out.
A rematch with John Moraga happened on June 7, 2014. John won this fight by TKO. The doctor stopped the fight between rounds because of an injury Moraga had from a knee strike.
On May 23, 2015, John faced Zach Makovsky. John won the fight by unanimous decision.
Second title shot
John got another chance to fight for the Flyweight championship on September 5, 2015. He faced Demetrious Johnson again. This time, Johnson won the fight by unanimous decision.
Return to Bantamweight
After his second title shot, John decided to move back to the bantamweight division. On April 16, 2016, he fought Manvel Gamburyan. John won this fight by TKO in the first round.
He then faced John Lineker on October 1, 2016. Lineker missed the weight limit for the fight. John lost this close fight by split decision.
On April 22, 2017, John fought Eddie Wineland. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
John faced Marlon Moraes on November 11, 2017. He lost this fight by split decision.
He was scheduled to fight Pedro Munhoz twice. The first time, Munhoz missed weight, and the fight was canceled. They fought on March 3, 2018, and John won by split decision.
After this fight, John's contract with the UFC ended. He decided to sign a new four-fight deal with the UFC.
On September 8, 2018, John faced Jimmie Rivera. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.
John fought Petr Yan on February 23, 2019. He lost this fight by unanimous decision.
On February 15, 2020, John faced Nathaniel Wood. He won the fight by TKO in the third round.
In June 2020, John signed another five-fight deal with the UFC. However, he lost his next fight to Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision on August 15, 2020.
On September 18, 2020, the UFC announced that John Dodson was no longer fighting for them.
Post UFC
After leaving the UFC, John was set to fight Cody Gibson on July 30, 2021. However, John and his family were in a serious car accident, so he had to pull out of the fight. His fight with Gibson was rescheduled for October 23, 2021. John lost that fight by unanimous decision.
On April 2, 2022, John fought Francisco Rivera. He won the fight by unanimous decision.
John then signed a contract with Rizin Fighting Federation, a Japanese MMA organization. He returned to the flyweight division and debuted against Hideo Tokoro on December 31, 2022. John won the fight by knockout in the first round.
He faced Tatsuki Saomoto on May 6, 2023, and won by unanimous decision.
On December 31, 2023, John fought Hiromasa Ougikubo and lost by unanimous decision.
Bare-knuckle boxing career
Bare-knuckle boxing is a sport where fighters punch each other without gloves. In June 2022, John Dodson announced he had signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).
John faced Ryan Benoit on August 27, 2022. John won the fight by knockout in the first round. This impressive win earned him the "Performance of the Night" award.
On February 17, 2023, John fought Jarod Grant. He won this fight by first-round knockout.
John then fought for the first-ever BKFC Flyweight championship on August 11, 2023. He won the title by technical knockout in the first round.
On March 29, 2024, John defended his BKFC Flyweight Championship against Dagoberto Aguero. The fight ended in a unanimous draw, meaning neither fighter won. This fight was also named "Fight of the Night."
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- The Ultimate Fighter 14 Bantamweight Tournament Winner
- The Ultimate Fighter 14 Knockout of the Season
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Demetrious Johnson
- Knockout of the Night (Two times) vs. T.J. Dillashaw and Darrell Montague
- UFC.com Awards
- 2011: Ranked #5 Newcomer of the Year (Tied with Diego Brandão)
- 2013: Ranked #7 Fight of the Year vs. Demetrious Johnson
Bare-knuckle boxing
- Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
- BKFC Flyweight Championship (One time; current; inaugural)
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Dagoberto Aguero
- Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Ryan Benoit
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 38 matches | 24 wins | 14 losses |
| By knockout | 11 | 0 |
| By submission | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 11 | 14 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 24–14 | Hiromasa Ougikubo | Decision (unanimous) | Rizin 45 | December 31, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 24–13 | Tatsuki Saomoto | Decision (unanimous) | Rizin 42 | May 6, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 23–13 | Hideo Tokoro | KO (punches) | Rizin 40 | December 31, 2022 | 1 | 1:43 | Saitama, Japan | Return to Flyweight. |
| Win | 22–13 | Francisco Rivera | Decision (unanimous) | XMMA 4: Black Magic | April 2, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States | |
| Loss | 21–13 | Cody Gibson | Decision (unanimous) | XMMA 3: Vice City | October 23, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Miami, Florida, United States | |
| Loss | 21–12 | Merab Dvalishvili | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 252 | August 15, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 21–11 | Nathaniel Wood | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Anderson vs. Błachowicz 2 | February 15, 2020 | 3 | 0:16 | Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States | |
| Loss | 20–11 | Petr Yan | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Santos | February 23, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Prague, Czech Republic | |
| Loss | 20–10 | Jimmie Rivera | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 228 | September 8, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Dallas, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 20–9 | Pedro Munhoz | Decision (split) | UFC 222 | March 3, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 19–9 | Marlon Moraes | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis | November 11, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Norfolk, Virginia, United States | |
| Win | 19–8 | Eddie Wineland | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov | April 22, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | |
| Loss | 18–8 | John Lineker | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Lineker vs. Dodson | October 1, 2016 | 5 | 5:00 | Portland, Oregon, United States | Catchweight (136.5 lb) bout; Lineker missed weight. |
| Win | 18–7 | Manvel Gamburyan | TKO (punches) | UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs. Evans | April 16, 2016 | 1 | 0:37 | Tampa, Florida, United States | Return to Bantamweight. |
| Loss | 17–7 | Demetrious Johnson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 191 | September 5, 2015 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | For the UFC Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 17–6 | Zach Makovsky | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 187 | May 23, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 16–6 | John Moraga | TKO (doctor stoppage) | UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khabilov | June 7, 2014 | 2 | 5:00 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | |
| Win | 15–6 | Darrell Montague | KO (punch) | UFC 166 | October 19, 2013 | 1 | 4:13 | Houston, Texas, United States | Knockout of the Night. |
| Loss | 14–6 | Demetrious Johnson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson | January 26, 2013 | 5 | 5:00 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | For the UFC Flyweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 14–5 | Jussier Formiga | TKO (punches) | UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot | October 5, 2012 | 2 | 4:35 | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | UFC Flyweight title eliminator. |
| Win | 13–5 | Tim Elliott | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller | May 5, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States | Return to Flyweight. |
| Win | 12–5 | T.J. Dillashaw | TKO (punches) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller Finale | December 3, 2011 | 1 | 1:54 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Won The Ultimate Fighter 14 Bantamweight tournament. Knockout of the Night. |
| Win | 11–5 | John Moraga | Decision (unanimous) | Nemesis Fighting: MMA Global Invasion | December 11, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | |
| Win | 10–5 | Jessie Riggleman | Decision (unanimous) | Ultimate Warrior Challenge 8 | May 22, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Fairfax, Virginia, United States | |
| Loss | 9–5 | Pat Runez | Decision (split) | Ultimate Warrior Challenge 7 | October 3, 2009 | 5 | 5:00 | Fairfax, Virginia, United States | For the UWC Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 9–4 | Jose Lujan | TKO (punches) | Duke City MMA Series 2 | July 25, 2009 | 1 | 0:52 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | |
| Win | 8–4 | Jose Villarisco | Decision (unanimous) | Ultimate Warrior Challenge 5 | February 21, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Fairfax, Virginia, United States | Flyweight bout. |
| Loss | 7–4 | Mike Easton | Decision (split) | Ultimate Warrior Challenge 4 | October 11, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Fairfax, Virginia, United States | |
| Win | 7–3 | Vern Baca | TKO (punches) | Battlequest 8 | April 11, 2008 | 1 | 3:42 | Denver, Colorado, United States | |
| Win | 6–3 | Zac White | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Last Man Standing 2 | December 15, 2007 | 1 | 3:42 | Roswell, New Mexico, United States | |
| Loss | 5–3 | Bill Boland | Decision (unanimous) | Ultimate Cage Wars 7 | April 7, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | |
| Win | 5–2 | Jake Long | TKO (slam and punches) | Last Man Standing 1 | March 17, 2007 | 1 | N/A | Roswell, New Mexico, United States | |
| Win | 4–2 | Clint Godfrey | Decision (unanimous) | Ring of Fire 27 | December 9, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Castle Rock, Colorado, United States | |
| Loss | 3–2 | Joe Doherty | Decision (unanimous) | Ring of Fire 25 | July 29, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Vail, Colorado, United States | Won the Ring of Fire Bantamweight Championship. |
| Win | 3–1 | Jared Moreland | TKO (punches) | Rumble in the Rockies 2 | February 18, 2006 | 1 | 2:55 | Loveland, Colorado, United States | |
| Win | 2–1 | Johnny Velasquez | Decision (split) | KOTC: Socorro | July 23, 2005 | 2 | 5:00 | Socorro, New Mexico, United States | |
| Loss | 1–1 | Yasuhiro Urushitani | Decision (unanimous) | Demolition 041114 | November 14, 2004 | 2 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan | Flyweight bout. |
| Win | 1–0 | Zac White | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Desert Extreme | September 3, 2004 | 1 | 3:23 | Socorro, New Mexico, United States |
Mixed martial arts exhibition record
| Exhibition record breakdown | ||
| 3 matches | 3 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 3–0 | Johnny Bedford | KO (punches) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller | November 30, 2011 (airdate) | 2 | 1:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | The Ultimate Fighter 14 Semi-finals. |
| Win | 2–0 | John Albert | Decision (unanimous) | October 26, 2011 (airdate) | 2 | 5:00 | The Ultimate Fighter 14 Quarter-finals. | ||
| Win | 1–0 | Brandon Merkt | TKO (punches) | September 21, 2011 (airdate) | 1 | 1:37 | The Ultimate Fighter 14 Preliminary bout. |
Bare knuckle boxing record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 5 matches | 4 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 3 | 0 |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| win | 4–0–1 | Takaki Soya | Decision (unanimous) | Super Rizin 3 | July 28, 2024 | 5 | 2:00 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Draw | 3–0–1 | Dagoberto Aguero | Draw (unanimous) | BKFC 59 | March 29, 2024 | 5 | 2:00 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Retained the BKFC Flyweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 3–0 | JR Ridge | TKO (punches) | BKFC 48 | August 11, 2023 | 1 | 1:49 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Won the inaugural BKFC Flyweight Championship. |
| Win | 2–0 | Jarod Grant | KO (punches) | BKFC KnuckleMania 3 | February 17, 2023 | 1 | 1:41 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Ryan Benoit | KO (punch) | BKFC 28 | August 27, 2022 | 1 | 0:40 | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Performance of the Night. |
See also
In Spanish: John Dodson para niños
- List of current Rizin FF fighters
- List of male mixed martial artists
