HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: (L-R) John Dodson celebrates after defeating Darrell Montague by knockout in their UFC flyweight bout at the Toyota Center on October 19, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Nick Laham/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Former flyweight title challenger John Dodson will be moving up to bantamweight for his next fight and the future as he begins pursuit of a new gold belt in the UFC.
Dodson most recently challenged flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson at UFC 191, but came out on the wrong end of a unanimous decision, which marked his second loss to the long reigning king at 125 pounds.
According to Dodson's manager via "UFC Tonight", the Team Jackson/Winkeljohn fighter has decided to move back up to 135 pounds for his next bout in the promotion.
Dodson previously fought at bantamweight while he was competing on "The Ultimate Fighter" and he actually won the competition with a TKO victory over future champion T.J. Dillashaw.
Now because of the new UFC drug testing program where fighters are required to undergo rigorous testing as well as a ban on IV's to rehydrate after a weight cut, Dodson believes a move up to bantamweight is best for his career.
Dodson has talked about a rematch with Dillashaw ever since he won the bantamweight title in 2014 and now if he's moving up to 135 pounds the matchup could become a reality.
There's no word yet on when Dodson will book his next fight, but it looks like the bantamweight division just got a new contender.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.