Image via @Rizin_PR on Twitter
John Dodson on Rizin debut “Get ready for these head stomps”
John Dodson tests skills with Hideo Tokoro at Rizin 40 on December 31st.
Dodson appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts to discuss his BKFC endeavors, being able to utilize soccer kicks in this fight, and so much more. Excerpts from our chat are below.
John Dodson
The excitement level from getting to compete under the Rizin ruleset for the first time
“Making sure we can go ahead and get ready for these head stomps, soccer kicks, and kneeing the fools in the ground.”
“Because of my wild acrobatics, I can go ahead and maneuver around this guy and land my knee perfectly onto his face. Or be doing some crazy like face stomps.”
2022 being a big year for Dodson (returning to the win column in MMA, successful BKFC debut, and Rizin debut here) and if it has been creatively stimulating for him to fight under multiple rulesets
“Oh absolutely because of the fact that bare knuckle is such a unique kind of problem for me. Because of the fact that we’re punching people without gloves. I have to continuously punch with somebody and then try to destroy them by just using my bare knuckles and boxing skills. Everyone continuously thought I wasn’t being the same creative knockout artist I used to be. I showed the potential that I had against Ryan Benoit.”
Rizin 40
The initial thoughts when the Hideo Tokoro bout offer came Dodson’s way and his thoughts on the stylistic attributes of Tokoro
“I was like man, I’m fighting a heavyweight because like you’ve got to remember Hideo is the only fighter in MMA history to fight in seven different weight classes. He’s out there, gone through flyweight all the way up to like light heavy(weight) I believe. And he’s out there fighting the best. He fought Royce Gracie, Renzo Gracie, and Kron Gracie. So they’ve all gone through everything. He’s a phenomenal submission artist, he fought (Kyoji) Horiguchi, he fought everybody from top to bottom. Who’s who in the MMA world, he’s fought them.”
“His better quality is going to be his grappling. I know I’m going to be faster, I’m going to hit way harder than he does. When it comes to the wrestling aspect, he’s going to be probably just as tricky as I am. We’re two unique puzzles. I don’t like to get taken down, he loves to try to pressure people. To either fall down himself so he can create an armbar, Imanari roll type of situations.”
Dodson continued, “But I love to go ahead and just crush people’s souls by hurting them physically. By either violent slams or with my punching and kicking. I want to see if I can trick him into running into my knee before I choke him out with a triangle choke or a rear naked choke.”
