UFC Flyweight John Dodson: What Gives Him His Competitive Edge?

John Dodson made a name for himself by winning The Ultimate Fighter 14, but he was a fighter to watch a long time before that.

The 27-year-old Jackson's MMA phenom has been fighting professionally since November of 2004. Since that time he has amassed a 13-5 professional record in various weight classes. Now that the UFC has instituted the Flyweight division he no longer has to fight out of his weight class again.

In his UFC Flyweight debut he defeated Tim Elliot at UFC on FOX 3 by unanimous decision. With a few contenders in the division, “The Magician” is on the shortlist of names who can contend for the UFC Flyweight Championship in the near future.

What gives him his competitive edge inside the Octagon? Start the slideshow to find out.

Camp

There are only a handful of elite camps in the sport of MMA. Dodson is at one of them. Most fighters begin training at a local or lesser-known gym, then make the shift to an elite camp later in their careers.

What makes his journey a bit different is that he has had Greg Jackson fine-tuning his skills since day one. Dodson was recruited to join Jackson's MMA out of high school.

Jackson's MMA has a who's who of of the MMA world training in Albuquerque. Iron sharpens iron, right?

Not only does Dodson have one of the best trainers, but also arguably the best strategist in the game today in Jackson. Having a great gameplan is crucial at the highest of levels. Dodson is in the right camp to succeed.

He is truly a product of Greg Jackson. And it shows in his performances.

Speed

He is a flyweight, so there is an expectation that he would be fast. However, undoubtedly, Dodson is among the fastest even at 125.

If you blink during one of his fights, you may miss five punches. He is a 5'3” dynamo.

He has an infectious energy that permeates from the time he shows up on camera and carries over in to the Octagon. At the pace in which he fights, it is hard to understand where he gets this from. Fans probably get winded just by watching him at work.

Being one of the fastest flyweights is truly something. He is operating on a whole other level.

Grappling

Dodson comes from a wrestling background; he is a former two-time New Mexico high school state champion.

Since joining Jackson's MMA, he has been able to craft his submission game as well. Shortly after joining the team, he competed in grappling tournaments and found success. In an interview with Jacksons.tv, he describes how quickly he progressed:

"

What happened was I went to do a Grappler’s Quest and I won that as a beginner. Four months later I did another submission tournament and round up wining that at the intermediate level. I smoked everyone in that tournament.

"

While he has not had a submission victory since 2007, make no mistake that he possesses a strong grappling game that can surprise his opponents.

Experience

“The Magician” has been competing as a pro for a long time. Unlike other fighters who get to hone their skills on the regional circuit before making a jump up in competition, the newcomer was immediately thrown to the wolves.

In his first professional bout, he squared off against Yasuhiro Urushitani and dropped a close decision to one of the top flyweights in the world. A remarkable performance for his MMA debut.

Since that time, he has moved across weight divisions and fought other tough opponents like Mike Easton, a fight in which he lost by split decision.

While he has just recently come on the radars of casual fans, he has been a quality fighter for a long time.

The Ultimate Fighter season 14 victor is no pup.

Power

At only 5'3” and 125 pounds, Dodson packs a wallop in his punches.

Not only is he one of the fastest flyweights, but he is also one of the hardest hitters in the division.

Dodson has five knockout wins on his record, not counting The Ultimate Fighter, and the ability to stop anyone he faces. In The Ultimate Fighter finale in December of 2011, he needed only 1:54 to TKO Team Alpha Male's T.J. Dillashaw at bantamweight. The result earned him some bonus money as he won Knockout of the Night.

The combination of attributes and skills Dodson has makes him very dangerous for anyone at 125-pounds. As he continues to pick up wins, he inches closer to having a shot at the UFC Flyweight Championship.

“The Magician” may be his nickname, but it is no illusion he has a competitive edge over his competition.