MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-American fighter John Dodson has finally set foot on Philippine soil as he is scheduled to spearhead a 4-day promotional tour in the country.
The 31-year-old native of New Mexico, Albuquerque arrived at 5:25 pm on Wednesday, June 22, coming from Singapore.
Dodson is booked to hold a press conference at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City on Thursday, June 23, plus a public workout and a meet-and-greet session at Robinsons Place in Manila on Saturday, June 25.
Dodson will also have a live interview at the Rappler headquarters on Thursday, June 23.
Known by the moniker "The Magician," Dodson (18-7) rose to prominence when he joined the 14th season of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality television series in 2011 as a bantamweight contestant.
Dodson defeated future bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw via first-round stoppage in the show's finale to get a 6-figure contract with the UFC.
After his stellar victory over Dillashaw, Dodson transferred to flyweight and scored wins against the division's distinguished names such as Tim Elliott, Jussier da Silva, Darrell Montague, John Moraga, and Zach Makovsky.
Dodson's two losses as a flyweight came at the hands of division kingpin Demetrious Johnson, who easily carved out another convincing unanimous decision win in their rematch at UFC 191 in September 2015.
Dodson decided to return to the 135-pound weight class this year and claimed a 47-second knockout triumph over Manny Gamburyan last April. – Rappler.com