John Dodson won the first title of his career at BKFC 48 last weekend but he doesn’t think it will be the last. It has been a long wait for the 38 year old but he is still hungry for more silverware.
Dodson is one of the top flyweights on the Rizin roster and could also compete for the Bellator belt. Both promotions are looking to crown a 125lbs champion for the first time and the American is very much in the mix.
Dodson’s ambitions clearly go well beyond the world of bare knuckle boxing and he told BJ Penn radio that,
“It’s a long time coming (but) I want to be one of the most decorated combat sports strikers in the world, This is just one of the stepping stones.”
Prime position
With two wins out of two for Rizin he is in prime position for a title shot with the Japanese promotion. Kyoji Horiguchi is coming off two flyweight fights which weren’t completed, one was nixed when Ray Borg missed weight and the other was abandoned when Makoto Takahashi got poked in the eye.
Dodson has his sights set on Horiguchi but he wants to compete concurrently in bare knuckle boxing and MMA. HE won the belt by unleashing a flurry of quick, powerful punches on Joshua Ridge in the opening round at BKFC 48.
The fight lasted less than two minutes and Dodson thinks he silenced his doubters with the performance,
“He came out the way I thought he would, using his boxing and footwork. But, I proved that I have better speed, punching power, and accuracy. Everyone can doubt me until they step in front of me.”
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New collection
Dodson had hoped to add to his collection of BKFC belts. He won TUF 14 as a bantamweight and wanted to move up a division and win a second title in bare knuckle boxing.
But Dodson believes Reggie Barnett Jr is running for him and has given up trying to secure a fight with the BKFC bantamweight champion,
“I don’t think that fight will ever happen. That’s the second time he declined and I’m not going to go chase somebody. If you are going to back out twice, first-time shame on you. Second-time shame on me, third-time, it’s not worth my time. I’m just going to clear out a whole division.”
Dodson is now a veteran of 43 fights who won TUF 14 and challenged for the UFC flyweight title twice. A lot of fighters would be looking to call it a day at this stage of their career.
Dodson is no stranger to success. But having finally won his first title the 38 year old says his quest for silverware is only just starting,
“It’s not the end of the road but a new beginning. I’m going to keep rolling the roller coaster until the ride comes down.”
