Demetrious Johnson: 4 Potential Fights for Him After His UFC 186 Win

Demetrious Johnson improved his streak of title defenses to six with his win over Kyoji Horiguchi at UFC 186. He stopped his Japanese foe at 4:59 of Round 5 with an armbar.

Johnson has clearly solidified himself as one of the best competitors in mixed martial arts and the emperor of the flyweight division. After this recent win, these fight suggestions would give him some interesting matchups for the future.

John Dodson

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John Dodson is the only man to truly challenge the current champion.

In three years, John Dodson has been the only man to challenge Demetrious Johnson’s reign as the flyweight kingpin. They met back at UFC on Fox 6 in a fight that saw Dodson drop Johnson twice in the early rounds. From that point, Johnson’s conditioning would come into play to help him take a split-decision victory.

Currently ranked in the No. 1 spot by the UFC, Dodson can find himself the top challenger once again if he gets by Zach Makovsky at UFC 187.

Zach Makovsky

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Zach Makovsky is slowly creeping up the UFC rankings.

Zach Makovsky is set for a big fight at UFC 187 when he faces former title challenger John Dodson. The former Bellator champion has put together a 3-1 record since moving to the Octagon in 2013. He’s crept up to No. 8 in the current UFC rankings, which could be enough for him to get a shot at the belt if he’s victorious on May 23.

Henry Cejudo

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Henry Cejudo's Olympic pedigree brings intrigue into the Octagon.

Henry Cejudo may be the newest name on the UFC fast track. He’s set to face Chico Camus at UFC 188 in Mexico City, which is a massive opportunity to build his value to the promotion. If he takes another victory, many fans may express their desire for him to fight for the title.

The former Olympian has world-class wrestling, which would be the talking point coming into this bout. If he addresses his weight-cut issues, Cejudo may be the best man for the job in the near future.

T.J. Dillashaw

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May 24, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; TJ Dillashaw (blue) pins down Renan Barao (red) during their UFC 173 bantamweight championship bout at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Dillashaw won the bout by way of TKO. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson’s claim to fame has been his dominant run since moving down to 125 pounds in 2012. The last man to defeat Mighty Mouse was Dominick Cruz when Johnson challenged him for the bantamweight title at UFC Live 6.

Perhaps Johnson can make that jump back up to 135 and challenge the current champion, T.J. Dillashaw. If Dillashaw is able to get through Renan Barao and Raphael Assuncao, perhaps this is the type of fight that would help build both men as names to watch within the sport of MMA.