As main events in the UFC go, they don’t get much better than Jon “Bones” Jones vs. Daniel Cormier. UFC 182 is shaping up to be one of the most memorable events in the promotion’s history, and the featured bout is the main reason why.
These two guys are both at the top of their game. They’re fighting Saturday for Jones’ UFC light heavyweight title, and they can’t stand each other.
We saw the latest proof of the bad blood between the two at the media staredown Thursday. UFC President Dana White had to step between the fighters on several occasions.
If the barbs traded between these two men are just hype, both of them should be joining the WWE after their MMA careers are done.
If you follow Bleacher Report and Jonathan Snowden and Jeremy Botter on Twitter, you know it takes a lot to impress these two gentleman. It seems safe to say that both are anxiously awaiting Jones-Cormier.
While the main event deserves a ton of attention, the rest of the card from the MGM Grand is nothing to sneeze at.
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will attempt to continue his march toward a shot at the lightweight title when he faces Myles Jury. Also on the card, Hector Lombard will take on Josh Burkman, and Brad Tavares battles Nate Marquardt.
Here’s how you can watch and my predictions for each fight. Just below the table is a closer look at the top three fights on the card.
Brad Tavares vs. Nate Marquardt
After snapping a three-fight losing streak with a submission win over James Te Huna in July, Marquardt is looking to send Tavares on his own three-bout skid. Tavares was stopped by Tim Boetsch via strikes in August, and he lost the bout prior to that to Yoel Romero by unanimous decision.
Needless to say, both fighters desperately need a victory in this one.
Marquardt has seemingly gone back to what he does best, which is grappling and submission. Before he beat Te Huna, he seemed to be showing a willingness to stand and strike, which isn’t his specialty. He lost two straight via strikes to Lombard and Jake Ellenberger.
While Tavares is a good wrestler in his own right, he doesn’t possess the submission skills that Marquardt does. If Tavares can keep the fight standing, he’s quicker and would have an advantage as a striker.
Marquardt is smart, though. He’ll be looking for every opportunity to catch and counter Tavares with takedown attempts. I see him ultimately planting Tavares and securing a second straight submission victory in the second round.
Donald Cerrone vs. Myles Jury
The Cowboy simply wears opponents down. His advanced muay thai skills and submission game have proved to be a lethal combination. Cerrone has won five fights in a row, and he’s tasked with handing Jury the first defeat of his career.
Jury’s record is sparkling, but truth be told, he’s taking a major step up in competition against Cerrone. The best win on Jury’s record up to now came over Diego Sanchez. This fight will be different and more diffcult than any other he’s ever been in.
Cerrone doesn’t make many mistakes defensively, and when he does, he has shown the chin to absorb a shot and come back to finish his opponent. He did that against Edson Barboza, Melvin Guillard and Eddie Alvarez. Look for Cerrone to take Jury’s best shot early and to seize control in the second round.
This one will end via TKO and ground-and-pound. The win will move Cowboy one step closer to a title shot.
Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier
Throughout his amazing career, Jones has made a habit of beating his opponents at their own game. He wrestled Chael Sonnen. Jones submitted Vitor Belfort after nearly being made to tap out himself from a vicious armbar.
Against Cormier, Jones has hinted he will attempt to wrestle the former Olympian. If we were talking about any other fighter, I’d say he was out of his mind. However, I’ve learned not to doubt Bones.
When the light heavyweight champion finally gets his hands on Cormier, I predict he will make the fight look a lot easier than many predict. The biggest reason is his length. Jones will enjoy a 12-inch reach advantage over Cormier.
Reach can be an overrated stat in MMA, but in this case, it’s relevant. Jones understands how to fight tall, and he’ll be able to pepper Cormier with shots early. Once he’s broken his will a bit, Jones will then look to drive his point home by beating him at his own game.
The end will come with Jones mounting a dazed Cormier and pounding him into submission to retain his title.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
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