LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 05: Demetrious Johnson reacts after his victory over John Dodson in their flyweight championship bout during the UFC 191 event inside MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 5, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Demetrious Johnson needed less than one round to put away Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo to defend his flyweight title for the eighth consecutive time at UFC 197.
A 2008 gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, Cejudo was supposed to be one of his toughest challenges and promised that he was the person best suited to hand Johnson his first loss as a 125-pound fighter.
Cejudo, who had gone undefeated through his first few fights in the UFC, found out in rapid fashion what it's like to face one of the most dominant champions in the history of the sport when they faced off on Saturday night.
As soon as the fight started, Cejudo tried to go after Johnson with his wrestling, planting the flyweight champion on the mat with a quick takedown.
The crowd roared as it looked like maybe Cejudo was correct with his prediction before the fight, but Mighty Mouse didn't stay on the ground very long.
As soon as he was back on his feet, the momentum shifted dramatically: Johnson clinched with Cejudo and pressured him against the cage while throwing a series of knees.
Cejudo ducked his head down out of the clinch in an attempt to slip away. But Johnson saw it coming and timed a perfectly placed knee that landed flush, sending the Olympian wobbling as he tried to regain his balance.
Smelling blood in the water, Johnson pounced on Cejudo with a series of fast, hard punches, instantly overwhelming his latest challenger.
Cejudo crumbled to the mat and Johnson continued the assault until the referee saw enough and called a stop to the fight at 2:49 into the first round.
After the fight was over, Johnson said he actually didn't have any game plan going into this bout. But once the opportunity was there to land the knee, he capitalized on his opponent's mistake.
Johnson's win now moves him just two victories away from tying Anderson Silva's all-time record for 10 consecutive title defenses in the UFC. While Johnson has never been all that outspoken about his place in the sport, he took the opportunity on Saturday night to claim the top spot following his latest win.
"I am the best pound for pound fighter in the world and I'll continue to prove it," Johnson said.
It's hard to argue with Johnson. He sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings alongside Jon Jones, who competes in the UFC 197 main event on the heels of yet another incredibly impressive performance from the flyweight champion.
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