Demetrious Johnson remained the only champion in the history of the UFC Flyweight division, knocking out challenger Joseph Benavidez with a spectacular right hand to cap a dominant year for the fighter known as the Mighty Mouse.
Johnson's third win of the year came at the 2:08 mark of the first round with an unblocked punch to the face of Benavidez, knocking him out cold.
"A lot of people say I don't have knockout power, but I'm always getting better," Johnson said as quoted by Yahoo! Sports. "I just let it go, and I was happy to get the finish."
Johnson even landed a few punches before the referee stopped the fight, even as his challenger seemed to be out cold before hitting the canvas. It was a remarkable win for the champion who engaged Benavidez in a thrilling match-up in Toronto 15 months earlier, winning by split decision to win the flyweight title. He then successfully defended his championship earlier this year by beating John Dodson and John Morga.Benavidez got his rematch by winning three straight this year, the last two by knockouts.
"If people want to see me as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, that's totally fine," Johnson said. "My job is to go back in the gym and keep working. It was a great year for me. Had a couple of great fights, and I'm happy to come away with this knockout. ... It would be awesome to be the fighter of the year for 2013, but my goal is just to keep on getting better and win fights."
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