The main event of UFC 182 on Saturday night is important for a multitude of reasons. It is a title fight that sits atop the UFC’s big year-ending (and beginning) New Year’s weekend event, and it features the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Jon “Bones” Jones.
Throw in the fact that both men are effectively undefeated—and that the bad blood between them is somewhat real—and it makes the fight that much more intriguing.
The real reason why Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier matters so much is that they are two of the sport’s best and most gifted competitors, and the challenge they present to each other is legitimate. Neither has faced anyone on the level of the other.
Since winning the UFC light heavyweight title from Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in 2011, Jones has made a habit of defeating former UFC champions with ease. The one fighter who did give him a true fight, Alexander Gustafsson, wasn’t considered a legitimate threat to the champion’s title reign before the fight took place.
The same can’t be said for DC.
Going into a fight with the best fighter fighting with the level of confidence that Daniel Cormier exudes is a daunting task that requires unwavering focus. Taking a fight with Jon Jones is one thing, but calling him out time after time and moving down in weight to get to him is not something most fighters would put effort into doing.
Part of the intrigue of the fight thus far is that Cormier already has Jones on his heels in their media interactions. He interrupts Jones’ attempt to control the narrative in interviews and gets a side of Jones to come out that the champion would rather keep private.
Cormier has exhibited that same level of confidence in the cage. Whenever a fighter has an zero on his record, his potential is seemingly open-ended. We don’t know if Cormier has what it takes to defeat Jon Jones, but he hasn’t shown anything to the contrary, so the possibility is more tangible than with Jones’ past opponents.
On the UFC 182 pre-fight conference call earlier this week, the challenger gave his thoughts on the mindset needed to accomplish such an unenviable task, saying:
I think it boils down to belief. Belief that this can be done. A lot of times people don’t believe. People don’t believe when they’re staring at a hill that may be high, or a mountain that seems like it can’t be climbed. I think it is belief. Believing in yourself, believing in your skills and your team, and believing in everything that you have done to this point. Believing that it all was enough.
He has firmly grasped the mental aspect of the task, and he seems like he is ready for his mission at UFC 182. It’s still tough to imagine a world where Jon Jones loses in a fight. His dominance in MMA is unmatched, and if he retired today he would have a strong case as the greatest fighter of all time.
Cormier is the type of opponent who Jones needs to defeat in order to cement that status as the greatest fighter of all time. Short of Cain Velasquez at heavyweight, or a far-fetched catchweight matchup with Chris Weidman, there isn’t a tougher test for Jones at this point in the UFC.
The level of competition Jones has faced has more or less been a crescendo up to this point, and the fight with Cormier is his chance to defeat the next best fighter in the world.
The attention this bout is getting might allow Jones to come out of it as a much bigger star for the UFC. And if Cormier is able to hand Jones his first true defeat, then he’ll probably be doing it in front of a much larger audience than the UFC has been getting lately, so his chances at becoming a future pay-per-view draw are as good as anyone’s.
With the fight getting moved back from September to January, both men have had time to fully prepare. Jones said on Monday’s conference call that the extra time has given his challenger more opportunity for preparation, but he has also used the extra months to better prepare himself.
I’ve done everything I can to win the fight. I’ve trained. My cardio is great. My tactics are great. My playbook is rehearsed. Now I’m going to go out there and do what I’ve always done.
The champion revels in the fact that his opponent was afforded a successful training camp, he and thinks the victory will be much more meaningful knowing that his opponent had ample time to rehabilitate and train.
We’ve both had more time to focus on this fight and each other. I think it’s going to be a great fight. One thing that I love about this situation is that there is no excuse for his performance, or for my performance, when we get out there.
The champion summed it up best, noting that although the trash talk has stoked the fires of fan interest, the time for talking is over. Now it is the work the men have put in that will ultimately lead them to greatness.
Everybody who fights against me, they claim that it is the best camp of their career and they are in the best shape of their career. That’s exactly the way I want them. It means everything to my legacy that he has no excuses.
Whichever man comes out victorious on Saturday night and leaves Las Vegas with the UFC light heavyweight title will have accomplished the single greatest feat of his career by defeating the other. That is what makes this fight truly great, as both men are facing their toughest challenge.
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