The light heavyweight title tilt we have all been waiting for is nearly here, and the most compelling 205-pound championship fight ever has us all on the edge of our seats before the two combatants even step inside the cage.
Jon Jones defends his championship for a record eighth time when he faces No. 2-ranked contender Daniel Cormier.
Cormier is an elite wrestler who has dominated throughout his MMA career. He is 2-0 at light heavyweight after leaving the heavyweight division as one of its top contenders. Jones has been the greatest light heavyweight we have known in this young sport. Their collision is made even more enticing by the hatred they have for one another.
Here are their keys to victory in the UFC 182 main event.
Cormier‘s Keys to Victory
Close the Distance
Jones utilizes his reach better than almost anyone in the sport today, and he will have a 12″ reach advantage against Cormier. That puts the challenger at a significant disadvantage.
Cormier has dealt with this disadvantage nearly his entire career, and it has yet to be a big problem. It will be Saturday. It was not a big problem during Cormier’s bouts at heavyweight because of the nature of the individual matchups and the former Olympian’s grappling skills. He also possessed a speed advantage at heavyweight that he will not have against Jones.
The challenger has to find ways to get inside. He cannot be successful being stuck outside of range. This is his primary key to winning the fight.
Complete Takedowns
The better wrestler must get takedowns, but it is not because of how good he is in this specific area. Rather, it helps set up success later in the fight.
If Cormier is successful with his wrestling, then it makes Jones react to his shots and feints. It begins to give DC more options against Jones that he otherwise would not have. He will be able to slip in strikes as Jones reacts to defend.
If Jones can stuff the takedowns, his confidence will grow, and Cormier will not have many paths to victory.
Controlled Aggression
This is a grudge match of the highest order. They hate one another.
Cormier has to manager his anger and control his aggression. The greatest risk for making key mistakes is when a fighter cannot channel his anger accordingly. Being overaggressive leads to finishes. A cerebral fighter like Jones will take advantage.
The AKA product is a smart fighter in his own right, but he is the one that has to come forward to defeat the champion. He is the one who has to force the action. The onus is on him.
Cormier must stay within himself for however long the fight may go.
Jones’ Keys to Victory
Establish Distance
Cormier has to get inside, but Jones will want to establish his distance.
Jones does this in a variety of ways, but the two he is most effective with is the jab and front kick. His long limbs are one of the biggest reasons he is the champion today. No one uses his or her body as well as Jones.
Jones has made his natural advantages even more significant through his hard work during training. That is a credit to the tutelage of Greg Jackson and Mike Winklejohn.
Keeping DC on the outside will be Jones’ easiest path to victory Saturday, and it is also one of his easiest options.
Utilize Trips
Much like he can control the distance of the fights with his long legs, Jones also uses them expertly in fights.
Jones is not going to be able to clinch with Cormier and win the takedown battles. Cormier is just much better than him in that position, and he is the stronger fighter. Jones has to use leverage. He can be successful in tripping Cormier to the canvas.
We have not seen how Cormier reacts on the bottom, and Jones is always improving on his ground control. They both have amazing takedown defense, but Cormier‘s balance would be effected by one of Jones’ trips.
Landing even one successful takedown will take some confidence away from Cormier and open the former Olympian’s eyes to the notion that Jones can take him to the mat. It will make him begin to second guess.
Make DC Work
Cormier has went five rounds before, but that was in a fight where he controlled the action. DC tossed Josh Barnett around the cage and rode his way to the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix title.
Cormier’s cardio has never truly been tested. It is easy to manage your gas tank when you are the one in control from bell to bell. If Jones can force Cormier to work early and often, it will pay off in the championship rounds.
Jones has shown his heart and resolve in the past, and we know he can go five full rounds in a back-and-forth battle. He will need to keep a steady workrate Saturday against Cormier. If DC does begin to gas, it will be all over, and Jones will be able to do just about whatever he wants.
This is a fantastic fight that can go a number of ways. It will be about who executes his game plan, and who can make the necessary adjustments. Remember these keys to victory when the two elite fighters square off in Vegas and see who comes away holding 12 pounds of gold.
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