Champ Demetrious Johnson vs. Ali Bagautinov to headline UFC 174 in Vancouver

UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson (19-2-1 MMA, 7-1-1 UFC) will headline UFC 174 and the organization’s return to Vancouver.

The UFC’s inaugural 125-pound champion will take on Ali Bagautinov (13-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in the Canadian main event.

UFC officials today announced the bout.

Johnson is ranked No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA flyweight rankings (and No. 4 in the pound-for-pound rankings). Bagautinov is No. 6 at 125 pounds.

Since a move from bantamweight and to flyweight and a majority draw against Ian McCall in the semifinal round of a four-man championship tournament, Johnson has registered five consecutive wins. The 27-year-old Matt Hume-trained fighter won the belt with a split-decision win over Joseph Benavidez in 2012. Since then, he’s registered title defenses over John Dodson, John Moraga and Benavidez. His rematch with Benavidez ended in a two-minute knockout victory, which earned “KO of the Night” honors at UFC on FOX 9.

In his first fight of 2014, he now meets the fast-riding Bagautinov, who’s 3-0 since joining the UFC to push his overall win streak to 11-fights. The 28-year-old from Dagestan scored a TKO win over Marcos Vinicius in his promotional debut before posting decision victories over Tim Elliott and John Lineker. A well-rounded veteran of the Russian circuit, he now owns nine stoppages in 13 career victories.

The latest UFC 174 card includes:

• Champ Demetrious Johnson vs. Ali Bagautinov – for flyweight title
• Rory MacDonald vs. Tyron Woodley
• Kiichi Kunimoto vs. Daniel Sarafian
• Mike Easton vs. Yves Jabouin
• Roland Delorme vs. Michinori Tanaka

For more on UFC 174, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Demetrious Johnson)