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John Dodson isn’t one to hold grudges, but he definitely remembers every detail.
As he prepares for his comeback on New Year’s Eve in Japan, the veteran flyweight has found a new home in RIZIN and captured the championship in BKFC after being unexpectedly let go by the UFC. Despite understanding the nature of combat sports, Dodson felt that his long track record with the UFC should have been taken into greater consideration.
After his defeat to Merab Dvalisivhili in 2020, Dodson was released from the UFC after close to ten years with the promotion, including two title fights during his tenure. The way things unfolded left a sour taste in Dodson’s mouth, leading him to have little interest in returning to the UFC, even if they reached out.
“They’d have to cut a check for me to come back,” Dodson told MMA Fighting. “If they want me to come back, they’re going to have to come with a higher dollar amount. Not to disrespect anybody that’s in the UFC, I think I’m far better than the champion that’s at 125 [pounds] and 135 right now.
“To me, it doesn’t make sense, but at the same time, it is what it is. At the time I was let go [from the UFC], my last 10 fights before I was let go, I won four fights [and lost six] and that’s the scale they decided to look at. When I lost to Merab Dvalishvili, he was my sixth loss in those 10 fights and I only lost back-to-back fights one time during that time frame. For me, it was very frustrating, heartbreaking, I just came off a Knockout of the Night performance and I lost a boring fight and they’re like, ‘You’ve gotta go.’”
Since parting ways with the UFC, Dodson has put together an impressive run, with a 3-1 record in MMA including two wins in RIZIN, as well as a flawless 3-0 record in bare-knuckle competition, earning him the BKFC flyweight championship.
Dodson is grateful to RIZIN and BKFC for providing him with a new fighting home after he started feeling unsure about his future in the sport. Following his UFC release, Dodson received a similar offer from the now-defunct Bellator MMA for a potential fight, making him feel like his options were limited.
“Bellator told me I wasn’t good enough,” Dodson revealed. “So I’m going to go dominate everywhere else. Everyone who keeps disrespecting me, they’re going to have to put a lot of money on the table to go ahead and say yes.”
Dodson can’t predict the future, so he’s uncertain about what opportunities may arise, but it will take a lot to entice him back to the UFC or away from RIZIN and BKFC.