John Dodson laments UFC pushing him to 135, thinks he'd knock out Alexandre Pantoja 'right now'

John Dodson wasn't thrilled about fighting at bantamweight because the UFC pushed for it, which didn't go well for him.

John Dodson likes his chances against UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja.

Dodson only lost twice in the UFC as a flyweight – both title fights against Demetrious Johnson. The Season 14 “Ultimate Fighter” winner was released by the UFC in 2020 after going 4-5 as a bantamweight.

Dodson, who’s now back down at 125 pounds, said what prompted his move up to bantamweight was the UFC’s unwillingness to book a trilogy bout between him and Johnson down the line. So, seeing Brandon Moreno fight Deiveson Figueiredo four times and Pantoja three times, Dodson thinks he’d fair well against the top UFC flyweights.

“Back in my day when I was in the UFC, they sat there and told me that I couldn’t fight Demetrious Johnson for the third time, and it would be a boring fight,” Johnson told MMA Junkie Radio. “So I had to move up to 135, and I did, and look how well that turned out. Then I went back down to flyweight and look how amazing I am. I don’t even know why they haven’t chose to bring other people back in.

“They just want to get new life, new fame, new stardom, new star power to that flyweight division. More power to them, they want to keep it like a unique system for them to go ahead and make more money. Let’s just go ahead and push the older guys out who would demolish all those younger guys because I really think I can knock out Pantoja right now, too.”

Dodson defends his flyweight title against Dagoberto Aguero in the main event of BKFC 59 Friday at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, N.M.