Johnson defeats Moraga

In the main event of UFC on Fox 8, defending flyweight champion DemetriousJohnson (18-2-1) defeated John Moraga (13-2) via armbar in the fifth round to retain his title.

It was the first time that Johnson has finished an opponent since moving to the flyweight division. 

Even without the finish, Johnson was well on his way to a decision victory. The reigning champion took down the challenger at will throughout all five rounds as he built an insurmountable lead before ultimately catching Moraga in the submission. 

The victory marks the second successful title defense for Johnson after winning the inaugural bout for the flyweight championship against Joseph Benavidez in 2012. Mighty Mouse went on to beat John Dodson in January and has now addedMoraga to his list of victims.

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Johnson learned from the brutal battle against Dodson earlier this year and avoided many of the same mistakes he made in that bout. While Moraga was celebrated for his unique blend of speed and power, he could not dethrone the divisional champion Saturday.

The future is still bright for Moraga, though, as the talented brawler had won seven fights leading into this event and still looks to be one of the best talents in the flyweight division.

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While Moraga begins to fight back into contention for another shot at Johnson and his title, the champion will have to move on to his next challenger.

As much as many fans would love to see a third chapter in the trilogy between Johnson and fan-favorite Ian McCall, there is little doubt that Benavidez has earned his chance at the title once again by winning his last two fights.

Benavidez took Johnson to his limit in the five-round championship bout for the first-ever flyweight title in the UFC. With an extremely close split decision loss,Benavidez will be looking for another chance to take Mighty Mouse’s championship title.

Momentum is on the side of Johnson right now after another marquee win, but the champion must get right back to work in order to maintain his spot as king of the flyweight division.

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