Not even the loss of former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones could keep UFC 187 from having a must-see main event.
While “Bones” deals with personal demons, both Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier will have a chance to become just the 12th person to hold the belt at 205 pounds.
Given both of their aggressive styles, the fight could end up being much more exciting than the original matchup of Jones vs. Johnson. Rumble—with his one-strike knockout power—and Cormier—with his incredible explosiveness and wrestling—have just enough contrast in their styles to put on a show that will break in a new era of the light heavyweight division.
Here’s the latest odds and information surrounding the fight, along with a prediction as to who will be the latest addition to the fraternity of UFC champions.
Odds via Odds Shark as of May 22 at 9:15 p.m. ET.
Cormier Will Lean on Wrestling Early
If Cormier wants to win this fight, he’ll need to have a strong start. Rumble has proved in his last two fights that he can take advantage of opponents who let him get into a rhythm early. His first-round demolition of Alexander Gustafsson was a perfect example.
As seen in the video below, Gustafsson allowed Johnson to stalk him from the outset, and it didn’t take long for him to take capitalize. That’s where Rumble’s power is most dangerous.
By contrast, Cormier will look to be the aggressor. It’s no secret that the former Olympic wrestler has the advantage in the clinch, and he would be wise to make Rumble carry his weight early in the fight.
“Everybody is talking about Anthony Johnson’s power,” Cormier said, according to Michael Martinez of UFC.com. “Where is everything else? When you break me down, you talk about my power, but you also talk about my wrestling. You talk about my grappling. You talk about my ability to go forward and fight. There’s layers.”
Against Dan Henderson, Cormier displayed his ability to take control of a bout early on with his wrestling. At this point, Hendo is a poor man’s version of Johnson, but the point remains.
If Cormier can pin Johnson against the cage or even score an early takedown, he will steal the most important round of the fight for Rumble. Cormier will gain an advantage the deeper this fight goes into its allotted five rounds.
Cormier Will Show His Striking Is On-Par with Johnson
Upon first glance, it might appear that this matchup is a classic striker vs. grappler affair. It’s not.
Johnson has a clear advantage in power. He hits like a Mack truck and can end a fight in the blink of an eye. But in terms of pure striking, Cormier is his equal both offensively and defensively, according to the stats. Here’s a look at how the two match up in the striking department, via FightMetric:
Once Cormier saps some of Johnson’s power early with his wrestling, the playing field on the feet should even out. When that happens, it could be Cormier who gets the better of the exchanges.
And that should signal the beginning of the end.
Cormier Takes the Title Late
Johnson’s best chance to win this fight lies in connecting early and often with his powerful striking. The more this becomes a full-on MMA match with clinch work and wrestling, the more it favors Cormier.
Even in a fight that he clearly lost, Cormier was able to pick up Jones and dump him on the mat in the fifth and final round. That’s a testament to his heart and conditioning. When picking this fight, it’s hard to disagree with UFC middleweight Luke Rockhold, who is calling for a late stoppage win for DC, per UFC on Fox:
As long as Cormier can survive the first two rounds without taking too many shots from Johnson, this fight is his for the taking. While Johnson’s power is no doubt something to consider, Cormier has power of his own that Rumble has to respect and a diversified game that allows him to attack in the clinch, on the ground and standing up.
Expect Cormier to take the title in a thrilling fight that shows he’s worthy of being the new face of the light heavyweight division.
Prediction: Cormier via fifth-round TKO
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com