Veteran UFC flyweight John Dodson wants Thomas Almeida at bantamweight

John Dodson

John Dodson wants to shut down one of the brightest prospects at bantamweight when he makes his return to the weight class for his next bout.

After recently revealing his intentions to move back up to 135 pounds after two failed flyweight title bids, Dodson (17-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is reportedly aiming to make a splash and hand undefeated Brazilian prospect Thomas Almeida (20-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) his first loss.

Dodson texted UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby to request the fight, according to a report by “UFC Tonight’s” Ariel Helwani.

Almeida, No. 13 in the NOS Energy Drink MMA bantamweight rankings, has garnered plenty of attention in his four-fight UFC career. He’s earned four UFC fight-night bonuses for outstanding performances inside the octagon to go along with three knockout wins.

The 24-year-old is coming off a devastating first-round knockout of Anthony Birchak at UFC Fight Night 77 in Sao Paulo this month and afterward revealed that his sights are set UFC gold.

Although not ranked at bantamweight, Dodson would represent a signature win for the Brazilian due to the fact he owns a victory over current UFC champ T.J. Dillashaw.

“The Magician” stopped Dillashaw by first-round knockout in December 2011 to win “The Ultimate Fighter 14” at bantamweight and then immediately dropped to flyweight. During his six-fight stint in the weight class, Dodson earned two title fights with reigning titleholder Demetrious Johnson.

Dodson came up short in both his title fights with “Mighty Mouse,” the most recent a clear unanimous-decision loss at UFC 191 in September.

If Dodson is granted his wish and can start his second bantamweight stint with a win over Almeida, it may not be long before he parlays his previous win over Dillashaw into a third opportunity to capture a UFC belt.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.