Fight day has finally arrived. The long-awaited clash between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier is set for the main event of UFC 182 on Saturday night. The battle for the light heavyweight title should allow UFC to start 2015 on a high note.
Jones and Cormier were originally set to square off in late September. The champion’s equally intriguing rematch with Alexander Gustafsson was scraped due to an injury to the challenger. Then Jones himself got hurt, which caused the delay until the new year.
It’s been a build with plenty of tension between the fighters and no shortage of hype. Soon, fans will find out if the bout lives up to all of the talk. For now, let’s check out the latest odds for the championship fight along with a preview for the show’s top attraction.
Jones vs. Cormier Odds
Preview and Predictions
The most intriguing fights are usually those between combatants with a genuine dislike for each other. When it seems like they can’t even stand being in the same room together, as has been the case with Jones and Cormier, it adds another layer of realism to the atmosphere.
Add in the fact that Cormier is viewed as a legitimate threat to end the champion’s extended title reign, and there’s a palpable buzz heading into the fight. So much so that Arash Markazi of ESPN rates the anticipation factor on an all-time level:
Quite frankly, that’s exactly what UFC needs after a 2014 where there weren’t enough high-profile bouts to attract the desired mainstream audience.
Now the question is whether Cormier can actually present a serious challenge for Jones. The latter has, for the most part, been dominant since winning the belt back in 2011. That was certainly the case against Glover Teixeira last time out.
The aforementioned Gustafsson did prove that an opponent with a lot of power and the right approach could at least make things interesting, though.
By staying aggressive, he prevented Jones from ever finding his usual in-fight rhythm. It was more of a brawl, which is exactly what Cormier wants to replicate. The more time spent fighting in close quarters or wrestling on the mat, the better his chances.
Jones doesn’t sound overly concerned, though. He told Martin Domin of the Daily Mail that his undefeated counterpart has failed to reach the mountaintop in his previous pursuits and that nothing is going to change now:
He’s a dreamer. He has high hopes and goals but he hasn’t been able to achieve these things. He had a dream to be a national champion but he lost in the final. He had a dream to be an Olympic champion and it didn’t happen. Now he has the opportunity to be a UFC champion and I don’t believe it’s going to happen. He’s a dreamer because he doesn’t have the heart to pull it off.
The best option for Jones is using a more conservative, tactical approach in this fight. He needs a chance to use his length to land some significant strikes to Cormier before he moves in and tries to finish the job in the later rounds.
That’s not to say Jones isn’t capable of winning if he’s pulled into another brawl. He showed against Gustafsson that he can still outscore an opponent even when he’s not in his comfort zone. But it’s a far more dangerous bout at that point.
Ultimately, look for the champion to use his experience on the big stage to win the early rounds before Cormier is able to fully settle in. That should give him enough margin for error to ensure he’s able to get the victory, even if the challenger comes on strong.
Expect Jones to pick up his third straight win by unanimous decision.
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