- John Dodson said training and fighting in bare-knuckle boxing and MMA have been almost the same
- The former UFC title challenger wants to become a champion in both sports
John Dodson seems to have a great time in his transition to bare-knuckle boxing. He has now gone 2-0 in BKFC but he’s still planning to win as many titles as possible in both bare-knuckle boxing and MMA in various promotions.
A smooth transition
In an exclusive interview with Middle Easy, Dodson explained what most fight fans have been yearning to understand – the difference between MMA and bare-knuckle boxing.
According to the former UFC title challenger, everything is pretty much the same, at least in his case. And so far, he hasn’t faced any major difficulties both in terms of training and the actual fight.
“My regimen for bare knuckle is the same thing that I continuously do for MMA and I’m making sure that I can go ahead and have that transition and be pretty much seem less like all my training is there towards MMA and I’m making sure that I’m making the case so I can go ahead and do both. Bare knuckle has given me another platform to keep me active and stay busy, and making sure I can strike within those ranges… I’m just staying outside of kicking range all the time,” Dodson began.
He continued, “I’m not worried about the whole general mindset and mentality of being me and kicking and takedown, Jiu-Jitsu like that makes MMA such a different type of animal but bare knuckle still has same parameters of a striking round… it’s the same type of ideals. I have to use the same type of angles, same type of footworks and same type of in and out motions that I always have done for so many years… This world of bare knuckles is about being touched. It’s about touching them and not being touched at all and I can continue to hit them as many times in different variations of different angles because the fact that they haven’t figured it out just yet that this is not boxing and it’s not MMA, it’s its own animal, we have to make sure that we can be pretty much like fencers to be able to strike a point at the opponent.”
A man with a plan
Dodson is now 38 years old but he still sees himself achieving a lot of things both in MMA and bare knuckle boxing as well. It can be recalled that apart from BKFC, “The Magician” is also tied up with Rizin where he competes in MMA.
If everything plays out the way Dodson wants it, he is looking to fight for the title in BKFC, Rizin and if possible, other promotions as well.
“I have a contract with Rizin, so I’m out there in Japan taking out the best Japanese dudes in the world and I’m gonna sit there and marquee myself to be the best pioneer fighter that ever lived. Like, I’m telling everybody I’m the best flyweight in the world… I will be holding on the title pretty soon. I want to be able to hold as many titles as possible in as many organizations as I can. Like, I only got a limited time left like I’m I definitely not no Yoel Romero and I’m not trying to go ahead and be like my close to my 50s still fighting. I want to go in my career with the best way possible by having as many titles as I can and then have the best run that I possibly could do,” Dodson revealed.
Dodson was victorious in his last MMA fight, after knocking out Hideo Tokoro in his debut at Rizin 40. He also secured his second BKFC win at KnuckleMania 3 after taking out Jarod Grant in the first round.
