In what will surely go down as one of the finer mixed martial arts (MMA) fights of the entire year, Ian McCall and Demetrious Johnson fought to a draw, when the two went toe-to-toe at UFC on FX 2, in Sydney, Australia, on Mar. 3, 2012.
The fight should have gone to a sudden death round to determine who was the winner and the owner of the opportunity to fight for Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) inaugural flyweight championship. Unfortunately, due to scoring errors, the fight was originally ruled in favor of Johnson (only later to be overturned), thus making it so the fourth round never came to fruition.
This chapter in history will finally be closed, when the rematch between McCall and Johnson takes place at UFC on FX 3, this weekend (Fri., June 8, 2012), LIVE from the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida.
The winner will go on to face Joseph Benavidez, who has been forced to wait on the outcome, since he won flyweight tournament bout with an early second round TKO victory over Yasuhiro Urushitani, on that very same night.
"The Beefcake" recently did an interview with FUEL TV's "UFC Tonight," where he discussed the disappointment of having to sit out, as well as his thoughts on who he will be facing in the championship.
Check it out, after the jump:
Benavidez was asked to make a prediction on who he thinks will emerge victorious in the second go-round between "Uncle Creey" and "Mighty Mouse." His answer was diplomatic, to say the least:
"It's a toss-up, just like the last one. You know, the last one was supposed to be a draw, after three rounds. That just shows how evenly matched these guys are. They're two of the best flyweights in the world. That's what's gonna happen when you have two of the best guys, it's gonna be a toss-up. So, I mean, I can't even really say, man. For me, I just wanna fight the best guy. I don't want there to be any question when I go in to fight for the inaugural Flyweight title, and I win, that I beat the best guy. You know, may the best man win, and I just wanna fight him."
In regards to the wait, Benavidez expressed his frustration. In fact, he mentioned four times in about thirty seconds. He's frustrated, people. But it's with good reason:
"It's a little frustrating. I'm not gonna lie. Of course, you gotta look at the positives. I have time off, so that's always kind of nice. You know, to visit, doing the thing right now with The Ultimate Fighter and hanging out. You get to make some improvements that you normally wouldn't make, when you go from fight camp to fight camp. You get to kind of slow it down and learn things, whereas in your fight camp, it's just a solid grind. But that's what I'm in it for. I love it. I've only got a certain amount of time to do it, so I wanna fight all the time. But yeah, it's frustrating. I was stuck in a position at 35's (135 pounds), and I waited so long for the 25's (125 pound) to open, thinking, like, 'Alright, now we're gonna get things rolling.' Now, that it did happen, I'm kinda in the same position, kinda stuck. So, it's frustrating. These guys get to go out and have another fight. They're main event-ing, gonna get paid again. That's a little frustrating, but I gotta just keep my eye on the prize and know that all of this waiting is gonna be worth it. It's for the UFC title, so I can't complain. It's not just any other fight. It's for the first ever flyweight title, so I'm ready."
Ultimately, the waiting and the dissatisfaction will be a non-factor if Benavidez is able to walk away with the belt. He'd be making history, and for him, that makes it all worthwhile:
"That's definitely what I'm going for. That's what I've worked so hard for. I do think I deserve it, and my previous fights in the UFC, I was really getting the respect, like I talked about earlier -- just being in the position I was at 35's. You know, so it's great. There's this new weight class, and either way, regardless, I was gonna do what I do. I was gonna go and work hard in the gym and go in and put on an exciting fight. Now, it's great that I am on notice. That's why you do it, to leave a legacy and do it for all these fans who have made all this possible. So, it's awesome that it's finally here. To go down in history, possibly, as the first flyweight champion in history, it's incredible."
Be sure to tune in to UFC on FX 3, when Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall will determine who will take on Joseph Benavidez for the Flyweight Championship.
For more information about the UFC on FX 3 fight card, including rumors and complete fight lineups, click HERE.