The 2015 UFC slate begins with a bang as Jon Jones returns to the octagon to defend the light heavyweight title against Daniel Cormier. The fight highlights an event that provides a nice mix of established fighters and those on the rise.
Furthermore, it’s a card that features a lot of bouts that should be hotly contested. Although there are some sizable favorites in the likes of Kyoji Horiguchi and Hector Lombard, several of the bouts on Saturday night are legitimate toss-ups.
With that in mind, let’s check out the complete group of fights scheduled for UFC 182 and make predictions for each. It’s followed by a deeper dive into the main event.
Complete UFC 182 Predictions
Main-Event Preview
Jones has defended the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship seven times since he won the belt in 2011 with a victory over Mauricio Rua. Many over those bouts were one-sided in his favor as he established himself as a dominant force and a major draw.
Cormier presents a unique challenge. He brings a lot of power to the table, which was the same basic outlook when Jones went up against Alexander Gustafsson. Of course, he managed to retain the belt in that fight, but he did it only after a brawl that could have gone either way.
The difference this time is that the challenger also brings notable wrestling ability to the table. Cormier would love to turn this fight into a brawl with plenty of close-range exchanges and time on the mat, where he should have the edge.
Jones doesn’t believe that’s the case, though. Akhilesh Gannavarapu of Sports Keeda passed along comments from the champion, who’s confident regardless of how the battle plays out:
I love the fact that people assume that if Daniel takes me down he wins the fight. I love how people assume that he needs to get close to me and then I’m suddenly at some type of a disadvantage. Honestly man I’m so secure in my abilities as a fighter; in the clinch, dirty-boxing, my jiu-jitsu, my top game, my bottom game, about my wrestling.
You wouldn’t expect a fighter to say anything else. The reality is that his best chance of finishing a successful defense is implementing a more conservative approach where he can use his length to control the pace of the bout.
It wouldn’t lead to an entertaining encounter—in fact, it would probably be called an ugly win in the aftermath—but it all comes down to winning. A fight that favors quality of strikes over quantity works to his advantage.
Regardless of the style the fight takes on, it’s one of the most anticipated battles in a long time, as noted by Dave Meltzer of MMA Fighting:
Ultimately, it feels like a fight where the advantage will shift numerous times. When Cormier is able to land some shots so he can move in and get the fight to the mat, he’ll grab the edge. The key is how often he’ll be able to do it.
The deciding factor may be experience. Jones has been on this stage a bunch of times in recent years. This is Cormier‘s first time at this level. In turn, it might take him a little longer to settle in than normal, and the champion will capitalize on that.
Prediction: Jon Jones by unanimous decision.
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