Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will square off for UFC’s light heavyweight title Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Before the actual fight are the media day faceoffs and the weigh-ins. With the melee that took place at the MGM Grand a few months ago as a backdrop, both events offered an opportunity to see how Jones and Cormier might posture up. The psychological battle between fighters is an important one in combat sports, and neither man wants to give up any territory in that regard.
During Thursday’s media day faceoff, UFC President Dana White stepped in to make sure the tense moment between champion and challenger did not escalate into an episode which could potentially nix the title fight. With Jones and Cormier having already been fined for their parts in August’s brawl, a repeat incident could have been disastrous.
Both fighters ultimately behaved themselves while still giving those in attendance enough jawing and scraping to give everyone a morsel of spectacle. It bears watching how the two men, who have no love lost for one another, behave during the weigh-ins on Friday, which will make their title fight official.
While the long reigning champion Jones is favored, per OddsShark, the two-time Olympic challenger Cormier is considered Jones’ toughest challenger to date. The pair have a combined record of 35-1 in professional mixed martial arts competition, with that lone loss being Jones’ disqualification against Matt Hamill due to illegal elbows.
If the fight goes down how many are expecting, it could be one of the most exciting fights in MMA history.
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