John Dodson vs. Jussier Formiga winner at UFC on FX 5 to get Flyweight Title shot

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

This Friday's UFC on FX 5 event features a flyweight bout between Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson and debuting Shooto Brazil flyweight Champ Jussier "Formiga" da Silva. The bout was expected to play into the title picture in the UFC's newest division, and on Tuesday those thoughts were confirmed.

According to a report from MMAJunkie.com, UFC President Dana White officially confirmed that the winner of the bout will get the first shot at UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson. Johnson captured the belt less than two weeks ago, edging past Joseph Benavidez by split decision in the first ever Championship bout in the 125 lb. weight class.

The division was introduced earlier this year, and Dodson joined several fellow bantamweights in dropping to the division as it was introduced. He has won four straight fights overall into Friday's event, and a fifth straight win will make him a deserving challenger for the belt.

Likewise, the debuting Formiga can legitimately earn his own shot with a convincing win on Friday as well. The 27-year-old brings a five-fight winning streak with him into this UFC debut, with four straight coming by submission. An impressive win on Friday will move him ahead of the pack as well, making this a deserving No. 1 contender bout.

Penick's Analysis: Well, White has officially raised the stakes for both Dodson and Formiga on Friday, and we'll see which fighter rises to the occasion. Friday's fight should be really exciting, and the winner will be a prepared and deserving challenger to Johnson likely in early 2013. This is a fight that shouldn't be missed, and hopefully the UFC has enough people tuning in on Friday to see the potential next challenger in action.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_14554.shtml

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