Daniel Cormier’s Victory at UFC 182 Will Cause Shock Waves

The UFC opens up 2015 with fireworks as Daniel Cormier faces off against Jon Jones at UFC 182 on Saturday. Despite his Olympic background and an impressive 15-0 MMA record, a Cormier victory over Jones would be the highlight of…

The UFC opens up 2015 with fireworks as Daniel Cormier faces off against Jon Jones at UFC 182 on Saturday. Despite his Olympic background and an impressive 15-0 MMA record, a Cormier victory over Jones would be the highlight of his career. However, on the grand scheme of things, that victory could bring shock waves felt across the light heavyweight division. 

Because of his storied career as an Olympian and Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion, it is easy to be a fan of Cormier. But at the age of 35, he is feeling the clock tick toward the end of his career. 

“The pressure is on me because I know that this is my last chance to do something really special in regard to my athletic career,” he told Justin Klugh of Philly.com. Cormier has fallen short several times in his career—from placing out of the medal picture in the 2004 Olympics to failing to compete in the 2008 Olympics due to kidney failure from intense weight cutting.

With his future up in the air due to his age, it is understandable why he decided to swing for the fences by going for Jones’ title at this moment.  

Jones isn’t just a titleholder. He is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. Therefore, a Cormier victory would open the floodgates to the division. His triumph would show that Jones is really just a man and not a machine who can’t be stopped in the light heavyweight division.

Could a Cormier victory happen? Bleacher Report’s Levi Nile predicts that Cormier will win by unanimous decision by being the aggressor and negating Jones’ long reach. Cormier understands that this may be the last stand in his career and may actually go into the fight like he has nothing to lose. This intangible may bring Nile’s prediction to fruition.

However, a Cormier victory would also reduce the magnetism in marquee fights in the light heavyweight division.

Someone who would be inadvertently affected is Alexander Gustafsson. He has been craving a rematch against Jones since his defeat at UFC 165. But due to injury and an intense marketing buildup from Cormier, Gustafsson has to sit on the sidelines this go-around. 

There is no doubt that a Jones vs. Gustafsson rematch would draw a ton of interest, and Gustafsson makes it no secret he prefers to fight Jones. “If I want to take the belt from anyone, it would be Jones. Not DC,” he told Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour.

Then again, he has no problem if Cormier were to win.

“Well, I think ‘DC’ is a great athlete and a great person, so, like I said, it would be great to see him win because it would mix things up,” Gustafsson told Helwani.

While a Cormier vs. Gustafsson matchup wouldn’t be a bad draw for UFC fans, Jones vs. Gustafsson would attract more eyeballs. Both Jones and Gustafsson have already established a history, and there would be a lot of anticipation for a rematch.

A Jones loss wouldn’t do anything to hamper his reputation. He still is a polarizing figure and will continue to be a draw for the UFC. Kyle Symes wrote on CombatPress.com that Jones has “more to offer the UFC in terms of economic impact.” A loss on Saturday would reduce the magnetism of a Jones fight in the short term, but his stardom will continue to rise.

On the other hand, a win by Cormier would be more than just a victory that keeps him relevant until his next fight. Defeating the top pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC would earn him the recognition he deserves in this sport. It may not be an Olympic gold medal, but wearing UFC gold would bring redemption to Cormier’s decorated career. 

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Dana White: Jon Jones ‘should embrace’ being ‘the bad guy’

Jon Jones has vacillated from goodie-too-shoes to social media troll during his career. UFC president Dana White thinks he should just go full heel.
White said Tuesday night on FOX Sports Live that Jones should accept his role as the villain…

Jon Jones has vacillated from goodie-too-shoes to social media troll during his career. UFC president Dana White thinks he should just go full heel.

White said Tuesday night on FOX Sports Live that Jones should accept his role as the villain in his fight with Daniel Cormier. Jones will defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Cormier at UFC 182 on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

“I think he should embrace it,” White said. “He’s kind of come off like the bad guy in this thing. All the stuff that happened behind the scenes, when they were doing the interviews after the fight in the MGM lobby, Jones was 100 percent the bad guy.”

Jones (20-1) admitted in a media conference call Monday that he has fostered a certain public image. He doesn’t curse during interviews and wants to come across as a good Christian for his fans and potential sponsors. Slowly, though, he has come to grips with the fact that people are going to love him or hate him regardless of how he attempts to come across.

“I’ve been pretty resistant,” Jones said. “No one wants to be the bad guy. But at the same time, people tag me to be the bad guy. I’ve learned to just let go. Let go.”

The 27-year-old champ said he was somewhat “grateful” that hot mic footage of a profanity-laced exchange between him and Daniel Cormier was leaked. The UFC turned the back-and-forth, which included Jones telling Cormier he would kill him, into a commercial for UFC 182. Jones said he was “offended” at first, but he has gotten over it.

“For that hot mic to come out and for people to see that side of me, it was kind of a relief,” Jones said. “Because it’s like, you know what? I am a Christian and I do try to carry my image in a certain light, because I think it’s important for the people I inspire and for endorsements. But at the same time, this is who I am. I will swear. I will tell a guy who told me he would spit in my face that I would kill him. I would call him the names I called him.”

With that said, Jones probably won’t be pleased to hear White call him the “bad guy” publicly. The two have had a rocky relationship beginning two years ago when Jones declined to fight Chael Sonnen on short notice and UFC 151 was canceled. White buried Jones on a media call, calling his choice “disgusting and selfish.”

“It’s just the UFC,” Jones said of the promotion using the leaked footage as an ad. “UFC 151 got cancelled and instantly my image got ruined overnight. That taught me a lot, it really did, about the UFC. So, them using that to promote fights, it doesn’t surprise me. I’m just gonna go with it. It’s what I said, it’s my quotes and I’ll live with it.”

Dana White: CM Punk will train at Roufusport with Anthony Pettis

CM Punk will prepare for his MMA career close to home.

The former WWE superstar has decided on Roufusport as the gym he will train at to get ready for his first UFC fight, according to UFC president Dana White. The camp is in Milwaukee, less than 100 miles and only about a 90-minute drive from Punk’s Chicago home.

“He’s now picked a training camp,” White said Tuesday night on FOX Sports Live. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to be training with Anthony Pettis, the 155-pound champion and his team. We’re just going to see how he progresses in training and then we’ll go from there.”

White also said that there was no opponent yet in mind for CM Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, and it’s still up in the air when he will make his UFC debut. It’s likely that it won’t happen in the first half of 2015. Though he has trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for years under Rener Gracie and has kempo experience, Punk has never even had an amateur MMA fight.

Roufusport’s credentials are indisputable when it comes to producing high-quality fighters. Head coach Duke Roufus is an accomplished kickboxer and his star pupil Pettis is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Then there’s Ben Askren, the ONE FC welterweight champion and one of the best pure wrestlers in all of MMA. With Pettis’ striking background and Askren’s wrestling tutelage, CM Punk will likely be in good hands.

However, Roufusport has come under fire in recent months as a gym that fosters bullying behavior. UFC women’s strawweight fighter Rose Namajunas, her boyfriend Pat Barry, a former UFC fighter, and another former UFC fighter Eric Schafer have all spoken out about disturbing practices at the gym, at least when they were there years ago. Roufus has denied their stories and said, while it can be a stern place, Roufusport has evolved.

The allegations came after a Milwaukee Journal Sentinal investigative report exposed apparent negligence in the death of Roufusport kickboxer Dennis Munson Jr. after an amateur bout in March. Referees, doctors and cornermen all let Munson continue in his fight despite signs of head trauma.

CM Punk has said in interviews that one of the important things about the gym he chooses is that it won’t contain fighters who will actively be trying to hurt him. If he has picked Roufusport like White said, he is surely confident something like that won’t be a problem there.

CM Punk will prepare for his MMA career close to home.

The former WWE superstar has decided on Roufusport as the gym he will train at to get ready for his first UFC fight, according to UFC president Dana White. The camp is in Milwaukee, less than 100 miles and only about a 90-minute drive from Punk’s Chicago home.

“He’s now picked a training camp,” White said Tuesday night on FOX Sports Live. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to be training with Anthony Pettis, the 155-pound champion and his team. We’re just going to see how he progresses in training and then we’ll go from there.”

White also said that there was no opponent yet in mind for CM Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, and it’s still up in the air when he will make his UFC debut. It’s likely that it won’t happen in the first half of 2015. Though he has trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for years under Rener Gracie and has kempo experience, Punk has never even had an amateur MMA fight.

Roufusport’s credentials are indisputable when it comes to producing high-quality fighters. Head coach Duke Roufus is an accomplished kickboxer and his star pupil Pettis is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Then there’s Ben Askren, the ONE FC welterweight champion and one of the best pure wrestlers in all of MMA. With Pettis’ striking background and Askren’s wrestling tutelage, CM Punk will likely be in good hands.

However, Roufusport has come under fire in recent months as a gym that fosters bullying behavior. UFC women’s strawweight fighter Rose Namajunas, her boyfriend Pat Barry, a former UFC fighter, and another former UFC fighter Eric Schafer have all spoken out about disturbing practices at the gym, at least when they were there years ago. Roufus has denied their stories and said, while it can be a stern place, Roufusport has evolved.

The allegations came after a Milwaukee Journal Sentinal investigative report exposed apparent negligence in the death of Roufusport kickboxer Dennis Munson Jr. after an amateur bout in March. Referees, doctors and cornermen all let Munson continue in his fight despite signs of head trauma.

CM Punk has said in interviews that one of the important things about the gym he chooses is that it won’t contain fighters who will actively be trying to hurt him. If he has picked Roufusport like White said, he is surely confident something like that won’t be a problem there.

Holly Holm to make UFC debut against Raquel Pennington at UFC 184

Consider it a postponement.

Burgeoning women’s MMA talent Holly Holm was supposed to meet Raquel Pennington in her UFC debut earlier this month. That didn’t happen when Holm injured her neck. But that exact same matchup will now carry over to UFC 184 on Feb. 28 in Los Angeles, MMAFighting.com confirmed with both UFC officials and Holm’s manager Lenny Fresquez on Tuesday. The bout was first reported by MMAjunkie.

Holm (7-0) is one of the most intriguing women’s fighters to enter the UFC since women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. The Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA product is a former three-division boxing champion and regarded as one of the best American female boxers in the world. In MMA, she has throttled the competition, finishing all but one of her fights by knockout.

Her last time out, Holm defeated Julianna Werner by TKO via head kick in the fifth round to win the Legacy FC women’s bantamweight title. The UFC signed her in July with significant attention. Holm, 33, is a legitimate potential contender for Rousey, perhaps as early as 2015.

Of course, to challenge for the title she’ll have to first get by Pennington (5-4). The Ultimate Fighter 18 alum beat Ashlee Evans-Smith, Holm’s replacement, rather impressively by submission (bulldog choke) at UFC 181 on Dec. 6. The Colorado native is 2-1 in the UFC and, at age 26, has not yet reached the ceiling of her abilities.

UFC 184 is headlined by a middleweight title bout between champion Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort. The co-main event pits Rousey against challenger Cat Zingano for the women’s bantamweight title. The card takes place at Staples Center.

It’ll be the UFC’s first trip to LA since UFC on FOX: Shogun vs. Vera on Aug. 4, 2012. UFC 176 was set for Staples, but the event was canceled when Jose Aldo had to pull out of his featherweight title defense against Chad Mendes.

Consider it a postponement.

Burgeoning women’s MMA talent Holly Holm was supposed to meet Raquel Pennington in her UFC debut earlier this month. That didn’t happen when Holm injured her neck. But that exact same matchup will now carry over to UFC 184 on Feb. 28 in Los Angeles, MMAFighting.com confirmed with both UFC officials and Holm’s manager Lenny Fresquez on Tuesday. The bout was first reported by MMAjunkie.

Holm (7-0) is one of the most intriguing women’s fighters to enter the UFC since women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. The Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA product is a former three-division boxing champion and regarded as one of the best American female boxers in the world. In MMA, she has throttled the competition, finishing all but one of her fights by knockout.

Her last time out, Holm defeated Julianna Werner by TKO via head kick in the fifth round to win the Legacy FC women’s bantamweight title. The UFC signed her in July with significant attention. Holm, 33, is a legitimate potential contender for Rousey, perhaps as early as 2015.

Of course, to challenge for the title she’ll have to first get by Pennington (5-4). The Ultimate Fighter 18 alum beat Ashlee Evans-Smith, Holm’s replacement, rather impressively by submission (bulldog choke) at UFC 181 on Dec. 6. The Colorado native is 2-1 in the UFC and, at age 26, has not yet reached the ceiling of her abilities.

UFC 184 is headlined by a middleweight title bout between champion Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort. The co-main event pits Rousey against challenger Cat Zingano for the women’s bantamweight title. The card takes place at Staples Center.

It’ll be the UFC’s first trip to LA since UFC on FOX: Shogun vs. Vera on Aug. 4, 2012. UFC 176 was set for Staples, but the event was canceled when Jose Aldo had to pull out of his featherweight title defense against Chad Mendes.

Daniel Cormier and the 5 Best Olympic Wrestlers Who Moved to MMA

Wrestling is known as one of the original Olympic sports and a pillar to mixed martial arts. Many athletes with a strong base in wrestling have been successful in the world of MMA.
With standout wrestler Daniel Cormier in the main event of UF…

Wrestling is known as one of the original Olympic sports and a pillar to mixed martial arts. Many athletes with a strong base in wrestling have been successful in the world of MMA.

With standout wrestler Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 182 against Jon Jones on Saturday, here is a look at five individuals who attained great success when competing on the Olympic mats. Some are past names, and others are present competitors. These individuals deserve consideration as some of the best Olympic wrestlers to transition into mixed martial arts.

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Jon Jones on ‘thicker’ Daniel Cormier: ‘His body type doesn’t scream athlete’

Jon Jones was just trying to be nice. Maybe.
When asked what he likes about rival Daniel Cormier during a media conference call Monday, Jones essentially called Cormier fat. But it came in a pleasant way, kind of.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say…

Jon Jones was just trying to be nice. Maybe.

When asked what he likes about rival Daniel Cormier during a media conference call Monday, Jones essentially called Cormier fat. But it came in a pleasant way, kind of.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say there’s anything I like about him,” Jones said. “I do respect that he’s able to use his frame so successfully, being a short guy and thicker guy. When you look at him, his body type doesn’t scream athlete. But he’s been able to do some amazing things, both in the sport of wrestling and his MMA career.”

That’s a backhanded compliment against the former two-time Olympian and undefeated MMA fighter if there ever was one. But that was really as close as things got to trash talk on the call. Jones will defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Cormier at UFC 182 on Saturday in Las Vegas. And it’s pretty clear the two are sick of the trash talk. They just want to fight.

“I don’t need to,” Jones said of continuing the verbal warfare. “I don’t need it. The fight’s gonna sell. The work has already been done. There’s a place for everything. All the beef, all the craziness was appropriate. It motivated me and I’m sure it motivated him.”

Jones and Cormier have been going back and forth for years at this point. It really intensified over the summer when Alexander Gustafsson fell injured and had to pull out of his UFC 178 fight with Jones. Cormier stepped in and the trash talk picked up immediately. The two infamously got into a brawl during a press event at the MGM Grand in August and, hours later, engaged in a heated, profanity laced argument with cameras still rolling after a TV interview. Jones injured his knee and the fight was postponed until Jan. 3, but the war of words didn’t stop.

There was very little of that contempt Monday. It’s clear the two still don’t like each other. But with just a few days left, cutting weight and last-minute preparation is the only thing they are worried about. Cormier was far more praising when asked the same question regarding what he likes about Jones.

“First off, I like a lot of his abilities,” Cormier said. “I like his creativeness inside the Octagon, confidence in himself. Any time a person wins as many fights as he has in a row, they deserve a level of respect and the level that he’s won, it’s hard not to almost admire that to agree.”

Jones, though, was content with a roundabout slam of Cormier’s sometimes rotund physique.

“I think he can be somewhat of an inspiration for people who are built like him,” Jones said. “It proves you can do great things. It’s just the manner of your mindset and how you use your body.”