Not only did Demetrious Johnson successfully defend his flyweight title tonight at UFC 186 against Kyoji Horiguchi, but he also claimed the latest stoppage in UFC history with an armbar producing the tapout with just one second of the fight remaining.
Round One:
The main event of the evening is underway. Horiguchi with a body kick to start. Johnson misses with a high kick. Another kick from horiguchi. Johnson lands his first punch of the contest.
Johnson misses with a leg kick, Horiguchi grazes him with a body kick. Johnson with a leg kick. Horiguchi lands a punch and Johnson backs up and almost loses his balance.
Horiguchi steps in with a kick, but Johnson isn’t there to meet it. Johnson does well to catch a kick from Horiguchi and moves him over to the cage with it, getting into the clinch. Johnson with a few short knees. Horiguchi tries to move away, but Johnson stays on him. They battle against the cage and then sepearate.
horiguchi misses with a kick. Johnson with a leg kick. He tries to go upstairs but it’s blocked. Little flurry of punches from Johnson and then straight into a takedown attempt which he works with and manages to land.
Horiguchi sitting with his back to the cage now with a little over a minute to go. Johnson tries to move into mount, but Horiguchi finds space to stands and move away.
low, hard leg kick from Horiguchi. Horiguchi with a punch now and Johnson tries to go for a takedown that doesn’t pay off. Body kick from Horiguchi and Johnson almost catches it.
Round Two:
Both men moving quickly to start round two. Johnson with a kick and then they exchange in close. Horiguchi now on the offense and lands a good knee to the head in there amongst a few punches. They clinch up against the cage and jockey for position before Horiguchi does well to take the champ down. Johnson gets up soon after, though he eats a punch in the process.
Johnson with a high kick to the body and then another that’s blocked. Johnson throws a couple of hooks that Horiguchi ducks under, but then he gets the Japanese fighter to the mat with a takedown.
Like round one, Horiguchi is sitting with his back to the cage. Johnson with a knee to the body as Horiguchi tries to stand, then drags him down again. Only momentarily though as Horiguchi is back up. Johnson quickly gets him back down though to the same position they were before.
Horiguchi up and tries to push Johnson into the cage and is unable to. Johnson presses forward and gets him down yet again. Horiguchi back up not afterwards. A few punches from Johnson just to set up a takedown. Johnson with a knee to the body then the contender is upright again.
Two-piece combo coming forward from Horiguchi. Johnson connects with a right and then gets Horiguchi down one more time as the round comes to a close.
Round Three:
Johnson with two leg kicks. Horiguchi with one of his own. Body kick from the champ. Another leg kick then suddenly in on a takedown that doesn’t pay off.
Horiguchi with the inside kick. Johnson down on his knees looking for a takedown against the cage now, but Horiguchi fends it off and they reset.
Both looking to land a low kick and then Johnson gets him down again. Nice scramble from Horiguchi to get his back to the cage again and lands a few short punches as he waits for the right moment to stand. He lands a knee as Johnson presses him to the cage.
They start to move away and Johnson is pressing forward looking for punches, but Horiguchi lands a nice punch in there.
Body kick for Johnson and a low from Horiguchi. Body kick now from the champion. He misses with a head kick. Excellent timing on a takedown from Johnson and away from the cage this time. Johnson trying to get into side control, but has to settle for half guard for now. He tries again and gets side control this time with 90 seconds remaining in the round.
Crowd getting a bit restless, but Johnson’s doing the right thing against a tricky opponent. Johnson manages to trap an arm and gets the crucifix, landing a few short left hands to his opponents exposed head before the horn sounds. Johnson controlling the fight now with his grappling as we head into the championship rounds.
Round Four:
horiguchi misses a body kick, but Johnson lands one. Johnson ducks under a punch looking for a takedown, but it’s stuffed.
Johnson again thinking about a takedown, but decides against it. Soon after Johnson is in again looking for a takedown. Horiguchi down to one knee but then gets up. Johnson continues working for a takedown and gets his opponent to his knees, but doesn’t get him on his back.
Three minute of the round remaining now and Johnson is still trying to work in the clinch and Horiguchi manages to move away.
Johnson with a high body kick and Horiguchi looking to land a counter punch. Johnson yet again working for the takedown, but Horiguchi reverses the position in the clinch. Nice knee from Johnson as he presses him up against the cage again and Horiguchi has to run away to get some space.
Horiguchi clinching this time around and trying to get Johnson’s back, but they separate before he can do anything with it.
Johnson with a body kick. He lands another in the final 10 seconds of the round. Horiguchi needs a finish in the final round, but he’s struggling to find the space to get anything happening.
Round Five:
Johnson with a kick. Horiguchi looks to get offensive himself, but Johnson ducks under and lands a takedown. He’s got Horiguchi flat on his back this time and away from the cage. Horiguchi trapping his head with his knees, but that’s quickly overcome and Johnson’s in side control. Horiguchi gets to his knees and to the cage, but Johnson manages to move to his back. Horiguchi still able to stand though.
Horiguchi lands a punch as they stand, but he only has a few seconds upright before Johnson gets him back down again in the center of the Octagon. Johnson moves nicely out of side control, but Horiguchi is able to scramble and gets up.
A few seconds onwards and Horiguchi is back down again, this time against the cage. 90 seconds remaining and Horiguchi tries to stand only to be dragged down. Johnson hops into side control nicely. Tries to take his back, then settles for side control again and lands a hard knee. Thinks about taking the back again, but Horiguchi stands up and away.
Another takedown from Horiguchi and is quickly on his back. Then into side control and has the crucifix position again. He’s landing a bunch of short strikes again as the clapper for the final 10 seconds sounds.
Johnson suddenly has a great deal of urgency to finish this fight and he opts to go for it in style, stepping over slickly and into an armbar attempt. There’s only seconds remaining, but he’s cranking on this hard and Horiguchi isn’t able to gut it out – the pain forces him to tap with just one second of the fight remaining!
4.59mins into the fifth and final round Johnson gets the tapout and goes into the record books with the latest ever stoppage in UFC history – a record that will be virtually impossible to beat. Great stuff from the flyweight champion to cap off a dominant performance!
