This weekend, the UFC heads to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, for UFC 215. The main event pits challenger Ray Borg against the only man to ever hold the UFC’s flyweight championship, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
Johnson is riding an amazing 12-fight winning streak. He has successfully defended his belt 10 times. On Sept. 9, he looks to break Anderson Silva’s long-standing record of 10 consecutive title defenses.
I was a bit disappointed in Johnson when he refused to fight T.J. Dillashaw. His reasoning was that Dillashaw has never made the weight. That excuse would be fine, but Johnson was lobbying for the Borg fight, and this is where that logic falls apart. Borg has missed the flyweight weight limit two out of his last four fights.
So, what was Johnson’s real reason for not wanting to fight Dillashaw? It doesn’t really matter, but either way we do get a flyweight championship headliner this weekend at UFC 215. Most people are not giving Borg a chance in hell to beat Mighty Mouse in this bout. I’m not most people.
I won’t sit here and tell you I’m 100 percent certain “The Tazmexican Devil” is going to pull off one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. I will, however, tell you that Johnson and everyone else should respect Borg, because he is a legitimate threat to the title.
Borg may not be the popular choice to fight for the belt. He doesn’t have the name recognition of some other flyweights, either. Yet, that’s what makes this contest so intriguing. Only hardcore MMA fans knew who Holly Holm was before she did the impossible and derailed the Ronda Rousey train. Let’s not forget Matt Serra — chances are if you didn’t watch The Ultimate Fighter 4, then you had no clue about Serra when he scored the biggest upset in MMA history over Georges St-Pierre.
How can Borg beat the pound-for-pound best fighter? Well, there is no doubt “The Tazmexican Devil” has power in both of his hands. He could potentially catch Johnson with a big overhand and seal the deal. However, a more likely way for Borg to pull off the upset would be to utilize his very underrated submission game. Six of Borg’s 11 wins have been by submission, including five rear-naked chokes and a kimura.
As I’ve already touched on, Borg has had issues making weight in the past. We can only hope that he has figured out his body and hired a nutritionist. If he makes weight and looks in peak physical condition on Friday, then we will have a hell of a fight on Saturday.
With a +550 betting line on Borg, you really have nothing to lose if you choose to bet on him. His statis as that big of an underdog really gives you a good indication of what everyone thinks is going to happen at UFC 215. Again, I’m not everyone. I love when things don’t go as planned. I’m all in on “The Tazmexican Devil” this Saturday at UFC 215, and you should be too.