Former UFC Flyweight Contender John Dodson Set for MMA Return at XMMA 2

UFC veteran John Dodson will return to action on July 30th at XMMA 2, which goes down at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. Dodson will take on another former UFC athlete in Cody Gibson, who last fought in the promotion in 2015.

With many organizations taking an interest in “The Magician”, as they do with many former UFC athletes such as Justin Scoggins, James Vick, Francisco Rivera Jr, and Kyle Bochniak, XMMA seems to be the best home for the thirty-six-year-olds future.

John Dodson confirmed the matchup was official yesterday via Twitter.

John Dodson vs Cody Gibson Preview

John Dodson (21-12) will be eager to put the disappointing end to his UFC career behind him and focus on the challenge ahead in Cody Gibson. The seventeen-fight UFC veteran Dodson enters the bout with the more notable resume holding wins over names such as TJ Dillashaw, Timothy Elliott, Jussier Formiga, and Nathanial Wood, not to mention sharing the octagon with Demetrious Johnson twice but falling short.

John Dodson’s UFC release came after winning just one bout in his last four, suffering back-to-back defeats to Jimmie Rivera and Petr Yan. Following those defeats, John Dodson pulled off his first stoppage victory since 2016 over a tough Nathaniel Wood. The most recent outing for “The Magician” at UFC 253 was the beginning of the end of a positive UFC career after dropping a unanimous decision to Merab Dvalishvili.

Cody Gibson (16-7) may have not shared the octagon with the big names such as the likes John Dodson has, however, Gibson has been making progress since the UFC released him in 2015. Cody Gibson joined the UFC in 2014, winning just one bout out of four. Since parting ways with the promotion the thirty-three-year-old has won four bouts, losing just one, competing in promotions such as LFA and Tachi Palace Fights.

Can John Dodson find himself back to winning ways or does Cody Gibson spoil the party? Give us your thoughts and opinions down in the comments below!

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