Former UFC title challenger and current Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) flyweight champion John Dodson has made a bold claim regarding a potential return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Dodson, who was a top contender in the UFC years ago and had a notable fight against then-champion Demetrious Johnson, is currently undefeated in five BKFC bouts.
Despite having last competed in the UFC in 2020, Dodson believes he can still compete at the highest level in mixed martial arts.
When asked about watching the UFC, Dodson confidently stated, “Well, I can go ahead and knock out [Alexandre] Pantoja.”
Alexandre Pantoja is the reigning UFC flyweight champion, riding an eight-fight win streak and recently securing his fourth title defense via submission. Pantoja has never been knocked out or submitted in his 35-fight professional career.
Nevertheless, Dodson remains confident, adding that he could also defeat top contender Joshua Van. “That Joshua Van guy,” Dodson remarked, “I guarantee you, they wanna talk about somebody who has incredible knockout power… my Filipino power can knock out his Filipino power.” Van is a young, rising contender who recently earned a significant victory over a former title challenger.
Addressing the possibility of returning to the UFC, Dodson said, “That door can always be reopened.” He added that he would need to secure more victories and deliver dominant performances in BKFC, as well as fulfilling commitments in Japan where he also competes.
Dodson Reacts to BKFC Interim Title
In BKFC, a new interim flyweight champion is set to be crowned soon, who will eventually face Dodson for unification.
Dodson`s last BKFC title defense was over a year ago (a draw), and he has since fought twice in RIZIN in Japan. While BKFC has previously stripped champions for competing in other promotions, they opted for an interim title in Dodson`s case.
Dodson expressed his disapproval of the decision at a recent press conference, stating, “First of all, I think that’s stupid that they make an interim title that I’m an active champion.”
He emphasized his readiness to fight, saying, “Like, I’m waiting to fight anybody… I asked to fight both the guys that are fighting for the title. I’ll go ahead and get the winner…”
