UFC On FX 3 Fight Card Primer: Ian McCall Vs. Demetrious Johnson

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 03: Demetrious Johnson of the USA and Ian McCall of the USA fight during the UFC On FX flyweight bout between Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall at Allphones Arena on March 3, 2012 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

At this Friday night's UFC on FX 3 show, Ian McCall (11-2-1; 0-0-1 UFC) and Demetrious Johnson rematch (14-2-1; 2-1-1 UFC). This Flyweight fight is the main event of the evening. As this division is still developing, our USA TODAY / MMA Nation Consensus MMA Rankings don't currently include Flyweights, though McCall is clearly a top 5 fighter, while Johnson is new to the division, but on his way. The main card airs live on FX Friday night at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

This fight is more of a continuation of Johnson and McCall's first fight from earlier this year. That first fight (and, in turn, this one) was a semi-final in the inaugural UFC Flyweight title tournament. It was an excellent fight that was originally awarded to Johnson via decision. Officials later discovered that there had been a scoring error and the fight was a draw. This was especially frustrating because the UFC had made plans for an extension round in the unlikely event of a draw, but by the time the mistake was figured out, it was too late. Now, we get that extension round in the form of a full fight, with the winner moving on to face Joseph Benavidez for the UFC Flyweight title.

How do these two stack up?

McCall: 27 years old | 5'5"
Johnson: 25 years old | 5'3" | 66" reach

What have these two done recently?

McCall: D - Demetrious Johnson | W - Darrell Montague (Sub) | W - Dustin Ortiz (UD)
Johnson: D - Ian McCall | L - Dominick Cruz (UD) | W - Miguel Torres (UD)

How did these two get here?

Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson is familiar to UFC fans for his UFC Bantamweight title shot against Dominick Cruz last October. Johnson proved to be a tough challenge for Cruz, but dropped a unanimous decision. His two UFC wins both come against major names - Miguel Torres and Kid Yamamoto. Prior to his UFC run, he was 2-1 in the WEC, with his only loss coming against Brad Pickett. Long held up as one of the fastest and smallest Bantamweight fighters, Johnson looked right at home in his first fight at 125.

Prior to making his UFC debut, Ian "Uncle Creepy" McCall was fighting in Tachi Palace Fights where he was the Flyweight champion. A former WEC Bantamweight with a 2009 loss to Cruz, McCall has had great success in his recent Flyweight run. Last year, he defeated Jussier da Silva - commonly viewed as the top Flyweight in the world at the time. As a result, McCall was considered by many to be #1 at 125 at the start of this tournament, though for him to keep that position, he'll need to defeat both Johnson and Benavidez. For a more in-depth look at McCall, check out my feature prior to the first Johnson fight.

Why should you care?

Because that first fight was seriously awesome, this one should be great too, there's a title shot on the line, and it's free. What more do you need?

More UFC on FX 3 preview coverage from Bloody Elbow after the jump.

SBN coverage of UFC on FX 3

UFC On FX 3: Josh Neer Vs. Mike Pyle Dissection - Dallas Winston

UFC On FX 3 Weigh-In Results: Johnson 126, McCall 125 - Tim Burke

Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 173: Myles Jury, UFC On FX 3 Preview - Matt Bishop

UFC On FX 3 Staff Picks And Predictions - Tim Burke

UFC On FX 3: Scott Jorgensen Vs. Eddie Wineland Dissection - Dallas Winston

UFC On FX 3: Fuel TV Preliminary Card Dissection (Part Two) - Dallas Winston

UFC On FX 3: Johnson Vs. McCall Betting Lines - Tim Burke

Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio - Episode 172: Charlie Brenneman, MMA Discussion - Matt Bishop