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After 9 years of being a fan favorite in the UFC, they have decided to cut ties with John Dodson. "The Magician" who is 35 years old from JacksonWink has had his troubles in the octagon recently.
John Dodson had won TUF season 14, went on to challenge for the flyweight strap twice. Both times went the distance in unanimous decision losses to Demterious Johnson. Since that second loss in 2015, he went 4-5. As it turns out his last UFC fight was another unanimous decision loss. This one to Merab Dvalishvili. All 12 career losses came off of the judge's scorecards.
John Dodson released by UFC
John Dodson also fought a couple of times at 125. The fighter who was known for his huge smile, had his manager make the official statement.
"We are excited to see what other offers are out there for John. He's 100% committed to his fight career and he's not diminished in his skills set whatsoever. John has fought the absolute best in the world in two weight classes. And he's still more than ready to face elite competition. We look forward to talking to any promotions to find John the best home for his future".
The two glaring most likely spots for John Dodson are ONE Championship and Bellator. At ONE there's the possibility of more money and the chance at a third shot against Demetrious Johnson.
However, Bellator does not have a men's flyweight division. And the likelihood of them starting one now is not great. That means going back up to 135. With 33 fights under his belt, that might be better for him physically. However, bantamweight is one of Bellator's stronger divisions, with Juan Archuleta now champion. Which might bring things full circle. Juan is the teammate and very close friend of T.J. Dillashaw, who Dodson wrecked 1:54 into their fight at the TUF 14 finale in 2011. However, John Dodson's last win came against Nathaniel Wood by one of his 10 KO's.
