UFC poised for first flyweight event

Demetrious Johnson and Joseph Benavidez ran into the same ceiling as undersized contenders in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division.

That ceiling went by the name of Dominick Cruz, the reigning 135-pound champion.

Now Johnson and Benavidez have the opportunity to compete in a more natural weight class as the UFC's 125-pound flyweight division is born with two semifinal bouts today in a tournament that will determine the division's first champion.

Johnson will fight Ian McCall, and Benavidez will face Yasuhiro Urushitani on the UFC on FX 2 card in Sydney.

"I was fast at 135 pounds, but at 125 pounds I am going to be extremely fast," Benavidez said. "In the flyweight division, you won't see guys throwing one big punch but (fighting) complete MMA at a very fast pace. I think this is going to be the UFC's most unpredictable division."

Benavidez, 27, lost twice to Cruz when both were in World Extreme Cagefighting, including a split decision for the belt in 2010.

"Now that I've cut weight, I know this is the right weight for me," Benavidez said. "Being able to go through a camp at this weight, I noticed the difference in my speed. I gained a focus that I didn't have at 135 pounds. I feel faster, and it's going to make for a dangerous fighter."

In Johnson's last fight in the 135-pound class, he lost a unanimous decision to Cruz in a title bout in October.

"I'm honored to be in the tournament and was very excited to be asked to be part of it," said Johnson, 25. "I've cut out a little bit of bad food and done some work in the gym to get down to the weight, and I feel great. Now my job is to go out there (tonight) and finish the fight, get the win and move on to the title fight. It is historical to be part of this."

Cruz became the UFC champion when the organization absorbed WEC in late 2010, adding bantamweight and featherweight (145 pounds) as the sixth and seventh weight classes.

Flyweight becomes the eighth.

"It's a testament to how big the sport has become that we can now do this flyweight division," UFC president Dana White said. "A lot of people have been waiting for this weight class to arrive. Here it is, and we are very excited. These two fights are going to set the tone for this division and show everyone what the UFC 125-pound division is all about."

One special rule will be in place for tonight's tournament bouts. In the unlikely event either fight is scored a draw after three rounds, a "sudden victory" round will be contested to determine the winner. The winners of the semifinal bouts will meet this year to determine the first UFC flyweight champion.

The main event on the card, which airs live on FX (Cable 24) at 6 p.m., is a welterweight bout between Thiago Alves and Las Vegan Martin Kampmann.

After losing consecutive controversial decisions, Kampmann got back on track with a win over Rick Story in November. He now gets a chance to return to contender status in the division with a win over Alves, a one-time title challenger.

"I can beat the best in the division," Kampmann said. "I feel some of my losses were really wins, but the judges went the other way with BS decisions. Thiago is very technical with his strikes and has power, too, and I want to stay away from those bombs. I used to want to trade with these guys, but now I'm going to be a little more smart."

The six-fight preliminary card will air live on Fuel TV (Cable 319) at 3 p.m.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.