Ultimate Warrior Challenge 8 results – John Dodson punishes Jessie Riggleman through three round decision

Fairfax, VA-Despite losing a planned Mike Easton vs. Ryan Diaz main event less than 48 hours prior to the opening bell, east coast based Ultimate Warrior Challenge put together a solid nine fight card.

An intriguing flyweight bout between John Dodson (9-5) and Jessie Riggleman (9-1) was the de facto main event. Both men entered the cage top ten 125 pound prospects with high expectations for two fighters under the age of 25.

Dodson, who trains under Greg Jackson, came out and set the tone early in the opening round. A hard right hand dropped Riggleman one minute in and began a pattern of the Virginia combatant fighting off his heels for much of the contest.

The second round saw more strikes exchanged between the two men, with Dodson, more often than not beating Riggleman to the punch. A well timed left hand by Dodson sent Riggleman back down to the mat in the latter portion of round two.

Entering the final round the story of the fight became clearer as Dodson's ability to rack up points with punches and knees continued to put Riggleman in precarious positions. With Riggleman not looking to get the fight to the floor, Dodson's superior striking earned the New Mexico fighter a clear 30-27 decision across the board.

For Dodson, the win was his most high profile since a 2006 victory over current WEC fighter Clint Godfrey. Still only 25 years old Dodson is one of the more accomplished American based flyweights. As a prospect fighting at his correct weight of 125 pounds, Dodson is a clear four star fighter who will present match-up headaches for any competitor at flyweight.

The first loss in Riggleman's career was bittersweet. The 24 year old Harrisonburg fighter was finally able to secure a fight at 125 pounds, but it was against a top level athlete with dangerous striking skills. Though improved on his feet, Riggleman is more comfortably fighting closer to the mat.

Riggleman is ranked number 31 in the ULTMMA50; a pound for pound listing of the top 50 unsigned prospects in MMA. How Riggleman bounces back from his first professional loss will go a long way in deciding the next trajectory his MMA career takes.

UWC 8
Fairfax, VA

John Dodson def Jessie Riggleman by unanimous decision
Timothy Woods def. Mike Seal by submission rear-naked choke 3:35 R2
Ururahy Rodrigues def. Diego Brandao by unanimous decision
Ron Stallings def. Joey Kirwan by submission triangle choke 0:52 R2
Dustin Pague def. Justin Hickey by submission rear-naked choke 0:54 R1
Valerie Coolbaugh def. Iman Achhal by split decision
Jason Frank def. Carlos Horn by submission armbar 0:24 R1
Jeremy Carper def. Caleb MacAlister by submission triangle choke 3:00 R2
Scott Heckman def. Matt Brannon by submission anaconda choke 1:36 R2