At the end of 2009, Damacio Page was on fire. Then came some annoying injuries and 13 months on the sidelines. Ready to get back in the mix, Page was greeted with more frustration. Demetrious Johnson’s constant movement and grappling made it difficult for Page to get anything going. He got tired and sloppy in the final round allowing Johnson to slap on a guillotine choke for the win at 2:27 of the third.
Page (12-5, 3-2 WEC) is a banger but the much smaller Johnson was impossible to catch. When he was corraled, Page scored three good takedowns in the first. But even on the ground, Johnson was in constant motion while defending.
The fight changed in the second when Johnson scored multiple takedowns and then he put things in motion for the win with some vicious strikes at the start of the third.
Just seconds into the final round, Page was off balance after a clinch gone bad. Stumbling away, he got caught by three punches and a left kick to the face. Johnson jumped on top and went to work. Page just didn’t have enough energy to get back to his feet. When he tried, he got sloppy and basically gave Johnson the choke opportunity.
This is a huge win for the 5-foot-5 Johnson (8-1, 2-1 WEC) who is tiny for the weight class. He’s only 24. Once the UFC adds the 125-pound class, Johnson has a chance to be a player. He delivered tonight as a huge underdog at plus-250.
WEC 52 undercard:
Yves Jabouin def. Brandon Visher via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Cub Swanson def. Mackens Semerzier via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
Michael McDonald def. Clint Godfrey via submission (armbar) - Round 1, 2:42.
Dustin Poirier def. Zack Micklewright via TKO (punches) - Round 1, 0:53.
Anthony Njokuani def. Edward Faaloloto via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 4:54.
Raphael Assuncao def. L.C. Davis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
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