The weigh-in for the UFC 187 clash between Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Daniel Cormier for the vacant light heavyweight championship is set for Friday night at 7 p.m. ET. The event will take place at the Grand Theatre at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
UFC’s decision to strip Jon Jones of the belt due to a legal situation has opened the door for a new face of the light heavyweight division. It’s a golden opportunity for either Johnson or Cormier to really elevate his status within the promotion.
Let’s check out the latest odds for what should be a closely contested, highly entertaining bout on Saturday evening, followed by a preview of the action and a prediction for who will walk away with the title.
Fight Odds
Preview
As the odds illustrate, this is a tossup bout. It’s possible to make a strong case for either fighter doing enough to win the belt. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to which one is better able to execute his game plan in a pressure-packed situation.
Johnson wants to push the tempo to give himself as many striking opportunities as possible. It’s his power that allowed him to score first-round knockouts of Alexander Gustafsson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in his last two fights.
Cormier will prefer a more methodical pace, one where he can defend Rumble’s offensive forays and then counter. DC will prefer to get his opponent to the mat, where he can put his wrestling background on display.
Make no mistake: Cormier also has his fair share of pop. If for whatever reason this fight turns into an all-out brawl, he’ll still have a realistic shot of winning. But that’s not the best approach for him this time around, given Johnson’s recent success when coming out aggressively.
He’s also coming into the fight with a new attitude. Damon Martin of Fox Sports passed along the fighter’s comments about a recent talk with Oklahoma State coach John Smith that really changed his perspective on things:
In that statement, I said, ‘Coach, you’re right. I don’t have to win Saturday. I want to win.’ I want to win for myself, for my family and to accomplish this goal, but I don’t have to do nothing. I just have to go out and compete to the best of my ability and go out and represent my family, this organization, my sponsors, my team and everybody close to me as good as I can. I don’t have to do nothing.
Johnson knows Cormier represents a tough challenge. In fact, he told Mike Bohn and John Morgan of MMA Junkie that it could be more difficult than a bout with Jones:
I really mean (this is a tougher fight). This is ‘DC’s’ second chance. When people get second chances they tend to go a little bit harder. He’s going to come at me like a bulldog and I expect that. The fact that I expect it means it won’t surprise me with anything he brings. I know what I’m getting myself into and so does he.
There are a lot of fights that don’t live up to the hype. This one has the feel of a battle that should live up to, and possibly exceed, the pre-match talk.
Zach Dunn of Last Word on Sports believes the end result will be a Cormier triumph:
I couple this “all or nothing” mindset with Cormier‘s brilliant fight psychology and I see him coming out victorious. I think Cormier pushes Rumble up and goes for the takedowns. Come round three or four Rumble will not have much left. He may be able to hold out for a decision loss but I imagine he folds again. I think the only way Rumble wins is to catch an aggressive DC coming in. Cormier is also very aware of this and I expect him to setup (sic) his shots.
It’s a solid argument, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the fight plays out that way.
That said, Johnson is a star on the rise of late. He knows this is his chance to take a major leap in his career. Cormier had a similar opportunity last time out against Jones and fell woefully short. Whether he will be able to rebound with a top-tier performance is a mystery.
Look for Johnson to come out firing on all cylinders once again. He should be able to win a couple of early rounds, which will put the pressure squarely on Cormier‘s shoulders, and a comeback won’t be in the cards.
Prediction: Johnson by unanimous decision
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