Sports

From Chuck E. Cheese to national TV, UFC’s Dodson stays humble

Just don’t call him pizza boy.

UFC star John Dodson helped pay for college by working a part-time job at Chuck E. Cheese. In five years, the talented fighter did everything from coordinate birthday parties to jump in the back and make pizza.

Over the summer, he visited some of friends at the old restaurant and things got busy. So he headed to the kitchen and started tossing some dough.

“I haven’t come that far,” Dodson told The Post. “I’m still the same person.”

Just a few months after making pies for little kids, Dodson is fighting for the UFC flyweight title. He’ll meet champion Demetrious Johnson in the main event of UFC on FOX 6 on Saturday night in Chicago. Though he’s been featured on numerous TV ads and his fight will be seen by millions upon millions of people, Dodson isn’t letting things get to his head.

“I still gotta have that hunger,” he said. “If I think I’m better than anyone else, I won’t have that hunger. I want to keep myself down in the dumps. I want to have to dig my way out.”

For Dodson, things are actually more simple now. While attending the University of New Mexico, he worked at Chuck E. Cheese and coached at Jackson’s Gym in Albuquerque. That’s in addition to training himself.

At 28, Dodson can focus solely on his MMA career – and it’s done him wonders. Last spring, he won the “Ultimate Fighter” reality show tournament in impressive fashion as a bantamweight. When the UFC added a flyweight division, the 5-foot-3, chiseled Dodson moved down to 125 and crushed Tim Elliott and Jussier Formiga to earn the title shot. And now he’ll fight on the UFC’s largest stage: FOX.

“I feel excited about it,” Dodson said. “I feel blessed I got here so quickly.”

Dodson does everything fast, from fighting to talking. He’s a bundle of energy just waiting to burst. Dodson’s trademark celebration is a kick flip off the Octagon. He hopes to be doing that Saturday night in Chicago.

Maybe if he wins he’ll also celebrate it with some pizza.

“My favorite one had barbeque sauce, marinara, pepperoni, cheese, chicken, bacon bits, red onions, green chili and sausage,” Dodson said with a laugh. “Man, it was delicious.”

mraimondi@nypost.com