Demetrious Johnson lived up to his nickname as the man known as Mighty Mouse turned in a powerful performance to retain his Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight title.
The 125-lb champion recovered from a lightning-fast attack by former Ultimate FIghter winner John Dodson to win on points in Chicago this morning.
The bout was not without its controversy, as Johnson was warned by referee John McCarthy following a low blow in the first round and an illegal knee in the fourth.
But the champion's experience proved his advantage as he took control of the fight in the final two rounds, leaving Dodson struggling to defend himself.
"I got dazed a little bit, but I am in good shape," Johnson said. "It is going to happen. You are going to get hit."
Meanwhile Quinton Jackson's UFC career ended with a one-sided defeat to hotly tipped Brazilian Glover Teixeira to put the light heavyweight in title contention.
Jackson, who had insisted going into the fight it would be his last with the MMA league, was taken down in each of the three rounds by Teixeira and struggled with the Brazilian's punches.
"I really wanted to win that fight," the 34-year-old A Team actor said afterwards.
"I kind of wish I fought smart and didn't get hit so much, but I always said I would rather lose a good fight than win a boring one and the fans are telling me that was an exciting fight. So I guess I'm sad but not so sad. I fought like Rampage tonight."
Jackson insists he intends to continue fighting MMA, but not with the UFC, of whom he has been critical about how the organization treats his fighters.
UFC president Dana White said afterwards: "He just walked out right now and screamed, `You are going to miss me'.
"I said, `I miss you already buddy.' ... Rampage's biggest problem is that he doesn't always train. He doesn't always stay in shape. If he took this sport 100 percent, hardcore, serious, God knows what that guy would be able to accomplish, but he doesn't."
Anthony Pettis put himself back in lightweight title contention with a first round knockout of Donald Cerrone.
Pettis, returning to action after an 11-month injury layoff, landed a solid liver kick to Cerrone, followed by a tight left jab.
"Shutting that guy up was the biggest thing for me," Pettis said.
"Now I never need to hear about that guy again. He's done. He got beat in one round. Goodbye."
Pettis will likely face the winner of Benson Henderson's title unification in April against Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez.
A rematch with Henderson would be keenly anticipated by fight fans, following this dramatic moment from their 2010 title bout in WEC:
Elsewhere on the card, Ricardo Lamas defeated featherweight rival Erik Koch by stoppage. TJ Grant scored a first round knockout over Matt Wiman, while fan favorite Clay Guida defeated Hatsu Hioki by split decision.
Ryan Bader claimed submission of the night with a 50-second guillotine win over Vladimir Matyushenko, while Paskal Krauss won by unanimous decision over Mike Stumpf. Shawn Jordan claimed a TKO win over Mike Russow, while Sean Spencer was tapped in the third round by Rafael Natal, and David Mitchell recorded a unanimous win over Simeon Thoresen.
