UFC’s Demetrious Johnson ties record with 10th straight title defense
UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson again proved too fast, too elusive and ultimately just too good for yet another challenger.
Johnson battered Wilson Reis on Saturday night before forcing a submission by locking in an armbar in the closing seconds of the third round to equal Anderson Silva’s record with 10 consecutive title defenses.
“It was a good damn night,” Johnson said after tying the record in the main event of UFC on Fox 24 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Johnson has won 12 straight fights and finished six opponents during his title reign. The 30-year-old said his ability to mix all aspects of the sport better than anyone else before him makes him one of the all-time greats.
“I think the crowd recognizes that,” he said. “(Georges St. Pierre) and Anderson Silva are great champions, but I’m the best champion to ever step in the octagon.”
According to FightMetric, Johnson landed 135 total strikes to 18 for Reis. It was the first time Reis had been submitted in 29 professional fights.
Rose Namajunas submitted Michelle Waterson with a rear-naked choke after dropping her with a head kick midway through the second round of a women’s strawweight bout.
“When I landed the kick, we were breaking off from the clinch and she was leaning away from it,” said Namajunas, who has won four of her past five bouts. “I just stopped worrying so much. I stopped overanalyzing things, and I’m just having fun with life and appreciating my life because it could always be worse.”
The win almost certainly puts Namajunas in line to fight the winner of a title bout between Jessica Andrade and champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 211 in Dallas in May.
“Whoever wins the belt, be careful,” Namajunas said. “I’m coming.”
Robert Whittaker is also in hot pursuit of a belt. The 26-year-old New Zealander solidified his place in the middleweight title picture with a second-round knockout of top contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
It was Whittaker’s seventh consecutive win and sixth straight since moving up to 185 pounds in 2014.
Whittaker was aware of Souza’s reputation as perhaps the top submission artist in the organization, but refused to be intimidated despite Souza having won 10 of his past 11 entering the fight.
“I think a lot of people let the hype get in their heads given he’s a legend of jiu jitsu and MMA,” Whittaker said. “I have great coaches, and I train to fight. I know that it’s a fight at the end of the day, it’s not a grappling match, it’s not a jiu jitsu match. All I have to do is get back up and punch him.”
Featherweight prospect Renato Moicano remained unbeaten with a split decision over veteran Jeremy Stephens in the first fight on the main card.
Moicano used his jab and length to control distance and consistently made Stephens miss when he tried to attack from the outside.
On the preliminary card:
— Tom Duquesnoy lived up to the hype that surrounded his UFC debut with a second-round knockout of bantamweight Patrick Williams.
“(The attention) is very motivating and very inspiring, and it means that I am on the right track, and it means that I have to continue on my path to be the best,” the 23-year-old France native said. “Next, I will take a little vacation in Italy, but I will be able to work on the business as soon as I come back, and I can’t wait for the biggest opportunity in the UFC.”
— Las Vegan Roy Nelson lost all three rounds of a heavyweight bout to Alexander Volkov. Nelson, 40, has lost five of his past seven fights.
— Anthony Smith rallied to knock out Andrew Sanchez late in the third round of a middleweight bout.
— Welterweight Zak Cummings choked out Nathan Coy with a guillotine late in the first round.
— Aljamain Sterling, Ketlen Vieira, Devin Clark and Tim Elliott won unanimous decisions, and lightweight Rashid Magomedov won a split decision.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.
