Before Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones rematch at UFC 197 in April 23rd, re-watch their first encounter from UFC 182 in January 2015.
MMA in 2015 started with a highly anticipated bout between bitter rivals Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, who headlined UFC 182 on January 2nd, 2015. I don’t really need to explain why build-up for this fight was so huge, but maybe this hot-mic showdown and this media event shoving match will help jog your memory.
As for the fight itself, Jones and Cormier were quite competitive in the first 3 rounds. While Jones passed his toughest test when dealing with a decorated wrestler in Cormier, Daniel was able to score quite well fighting in close quarters. However, Jones was able to take Cormier down on multiple occasions, as well as have his own success on the feet, and Cormier’s offense was effectively shut down in the championship rounds. The 5th round saw Cormier finally take Jones down, but by then it was far too late to put him in a position to win, and the fight finished with Jones making the “suck it” gesture.
You can watch the full video at the top of the page. Bloody Elbow’s Dallas Winston scored it 49-47 for Jones (with a 10-10 3rd), and all three judges had it 49-46 in Jon’s favor. Perhaps as a fun exercise, see how (if you can remember) scored it the first time, and see if your score has changed upon rewatch.
Of course, Jones tested positive for cocaine metabolites, then lost his belt after the hit-and-run collision, leading hte way for Cormier to claim the vacated belt. The Cormier vs. Jones rematch will happen on April 23rd at UFC 197 in Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. This time around, Cormier will be coming in as the champion, while Jones is officially reduced to title challenger role for the first time since stopping Mauricio Rua in March 2011.