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:
For more on UFC 174, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Demetrious Johnson)
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