It wasn’t enough for Jon “Bones” Jones to simply defeat his rival Daniel Cormier on Saturday at UFC 182. Jones had to make a statement with his win.
We all knew that Jones had a six-inch height advantage and 12-inch reach advantage over Cormier. …
It wasn’t enough for Jon “Bones” Jones to simply defeat his rival Daniel Cormier on Saturday at UFC 182. Jones had to make a statement with his win.
We all knew that Jones had a six-inch height advantage and 12-inch reach advantage over Cormier. Some expected that to be the key to Jones’ success. There were some parts of the fight where Jones did a great job controlling distance.
However, for the most part, the fight was fought in close quarters. One look at the numbers presented by Jason Floyd of The MMA Report shows how diverse and brilliant Jones was Saturday night.
A fight in a phone booth was exactly what Cormier wanted, but he still couldn’t get the job done. Why did he come up short?
It’s pretty simple, actually. Jones is a far better wrestler than most give him credit for, and he’s tough as nails.
The Grappling Game
Cormier is regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the UFC. Cormier could not take Jones down until the final round, and he wound up being taken down three times himself. Before Saturday night, Cormier had never been taken down as a professional.
The way Jones handled most of Cormier‘s takedown attempts has to be discouraging to potential opponents.
The champion’s stand-up game is brilliant. If one of the sport’s best wrestlers can’t get him off his feet until the final minute of a five-round bout, the prospects of beating him don’t look good.
Toughness
Once again, Jones proved he has a solid chin. Cormier landed some good shots on the champion, but he never wavered. What do you do with a guy who is so tough to hit square, and even if you do land, he has the beard to absorb the damage?
In a grinding battle with such a strong wrestler—who Jones happens to dislike—Bones kept his composure and effectively won the wrestling match. It’s hard to put into words how difficult that must have been.
Perhaps the scariest thing about Jones is that he’s as mentally strong as he is physically good.
Jones almost suffered a submission loss to VitorBelfort only to submit the Brazilian legend later in the fight. He’s also stared down an elite fighter with similar length in Alexander Gustafsson and came out on top.
Per UFC on Fox, the winner of the Gustafsson vs. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson fight will get Jones next.
Both men had better be ready. It doesn’t look like the champion is slowing down or regressing any time soon.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
For the last six months, they were the best of enemies, and on Saturday at UFC 182, Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier proved to be pretty much perfect dance partners, too.
Jones got the last laugh—retaining his title and sending the 35-year-old Cormie…
For the last six months, they were the best of enemies, and on Saturday at UFC 182, Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier proved to be pretty much perfect dance partners, too.
Jones got the last laugh—retaining his title and sending the 35-year-old Cormier spinning into uncertainty with a unanimous-decision win—but not before the challenger brought out the best (and worst) in the polarizing light heavyweight champion.
It was fitting that their intense personal feud ended with a fight as emotionally charged and layered as the bad blood itself. Also, that the two did not immediately kiss and make up afterward.
“The respect just wasn’t there,” Jones told Fox Sports 1’s Brian Stann, after the judges awarded him victory (49-46 x 3). “I don’t like Daniel Cormier. I don’t respect Daniel Cormier. I hope he’s somewhere crying right now.”
If this victory turns out to be the defining moment of Jones’ career, it will be because all facets of him were on display during the back-and-forth, 25-minute battle.
We saw clearly his greatness—his unique complement of size and athleticism, his creativity, his ability to adapt and to marshal his forces during the championship rounds. Simultaneously, we were reminded that the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet can still be childish, arrogant and utterly ruthless.
In the first round, it seemed like Jones’ imposing height and reach advantage would be enough, as he winged kicks and rangy punches at his more diminutive opponent. Even when Cormier managed to close the distance and score with strikes from the clinch, it felt like Jones was just waiting to uncork something spectacular.
Soon, however, the challenger started to find more success. Certainly Jones’ game plan was to keep Cormier at distance, but once the former Olympic wrestler proved capable of regularly bulling through his defenses during the second stanza, Jones had to find a different way.
By the final two periods, he’d largely taken over the clinch game, too, and an increasingly gassed Cormier had nowhere left to turn. He rarely succeeded in taking Jones down—and when he did, the champion popped right back to his feet.
Meanwhile, Jones racked up the first three takedowns ever scored on Cormier during his now 15-1 MMA career. He lashed the challenger with standing elbows inside and brought the hard-charging Cormier to a near standstill against the fence down the stretch.
This was that rare MMA fight that told as rich a story as an epic boxing match, and it was magnificent to watch. Make no mistake, a big part of the plot was Jones also appearing to finally embrace the role of villain.
He taunted Cormier, throwing up his hands in celebration before the final seconds of the fifth were quite gone, then punched the wrestler in the face when Cormier turned him loose. The challenger fired back just as the horn sounded, and referee Herb Dean nearly caught a blow while separating the fighters.
His victory secured, Jones strolled away, then turned back toward Cormier and gestured at his crotch like a 1990s pro wrestler.
Message received.
Later, when the ever-likable Cormier broke down during the post-fight press conference, Jones applauded his effort along with the rest, but mostly sat on stage looking like the cat that ate the canary.
“I’ve had to rebuild myself a number of times, like people can’t even imagine,” Cormier said as he fought back tears, via MMA Fighting.com’s Dave Doyle. “And, this is no different. This is not going to ruin me.”
Through it all, Jones inched ever closer to becoming the greatest MMA fighter of all time. Just maybe, an important part of that journey is finally marrying the great and terrible parts of his personality. If he someday becomes the mainstream crossover star he appeared destined to be years ago, we could look back on the Cormier fight as the catalyst.
If he’s dropped any pretense of pretending to be something he’s not, perhaps fans will finally go all-in on Jones, even if it’s in hopes of one day seeing him fall.
The Cormier feud was definitely a start. Their months-long beef enabled UFC 182 to recapture some of the spark the fight company had lost during a difficult 2014. The Jones-Cormier bout once again made UFC programming feel like an event, like necessary appointment viewing, regardless of the extra $5 the organization tagged onto the pay-per-view price.
Even though most of the rest of the main card fighters sleepwalked through a tepid four-fight lead-up, the main event proved as electric as ever.
Credit both guys with doing the yeoman’s work of even briefly waking the UFC from its long slumber.
Credit both with putting on a bout that may have wrapped up Fight of the Year honors during the first event of 2015.
Credit Jones with being the man to finally have Cormier‘s number. In the process, he once again reminded us all why he’s so very good.
Daniel Cormier was clearly a tough opponent for Jon Jones.
After 25 minutes of action, the former Olympian gave the champion all that he could handle but was unable to walk out of the Octagon with a victory. Looking back, there were a few different poi…
Daniel Cormier was clearly a tough opponent for Jon Jones.
After 25 minutes of action, the former Olympian gave the champion all that he could handle but was unable to walk out of the Octagon with a victory. Looking back, there were a few different points in the fight that went wrong for Cormier in his first shot at UFC gold.
First and foremost, the reach advantage that Jones had over Cormier played a massive role. According to FightMetric, Jones boasted a 12″ reach advantage (84″ for Jones versus 72″ for Cormier). Jones used that throughout the fight, employing long-range striking with jabs and straights as well as kicks to the thigh and body in order to keep the challenger away.
Tabulations at the end of the fight showed that Jones landed 126 of 215 strikes, while Cormier landed 78 of 191 (via FightMetric). Interestingly enough, many of these strikes landed were counters that Jones was able to hit while backing away from his opponent. His ability to do so from range gave him the space needed to be able to counter the aggressive Cormier so effectively.
Pacing may have played a part in a lack of momentum for the challenger. Cormier admittedly took the fourth round “off” and was not as active as he potentially could be.
“Fourth round, I took it off,” Cormier mentioned during the post-fight press conference. “He won that round going away. In the fifth round, I don’t think either one of us did much at all. We just kinda hugged each other” (video per MMAFighting.com).
Looking again at the FightMetric totals, Cormier is reported to have landed only three of 16 significant shots during the fourth stanza of the light heavyweight contest. On the other hand, Jones landed 16 of his 27 significant strikes in that same time period. That momentum rolled into the fifth round as Cormier continued to have a low output of strikes to finish the fight.
Wrestling was to be Cormier‘s greatest strength coming into this fight, but Jones was able to get the better of his foe in that aspect of MMA, too. This is interesting because it has been stated that a snark comment from Jones about wrestling started this whole ordeal.
Dave Doyle of MMAFighting.com wrote a piece that chronicles the conversation that occurred between Jones and Cormier years ago.
“I bet you that I could take you down,” Jones reportedly said to Cormier when they met for the first time. That moment would be the catalyst that would lead to the main event bout of UFC 182. Jones proved his point, taking Cormier down multiple times during their fight.
Jones landed three of five takedown attempts, many of which came at critical points late in the fight. Cormier was only able to get the champion down to the ground once out of his eight attempts (via FightMetric). Much of Jones’ defense seemed to come from his length and his ability to stay away from his opponent’s attempt to transition a single leg into trip takedowns.
“He felt a little bigger in the cage than he looks normally,” Cormier said during the post-fight press conference. “He hangs on you, and when he starts to hang on you, it can zap you in the fight” (video via MMAFighting.com).
While Cormier was defeated by Jones, he was the tough test that many played him up to be coming into the fight. Still, he was unable to do enough to become the 205-pound champion, being just another name added to Jones’ impressive MMA resume.
Daniel Cormier made it interesting, but Jon Jones retained his belt at UFC 182, where he edged his rival in a unanimous decision.
From the outset, Cormier had a clear game plan, which was to keep the pressure on Jones and look for takedowns while negat…
Daniel Cormier made it interesting, but Jon Jones retained his belt at UFC 182, where he edged his rival in a unanimous decision.
From the outset, Cormier had a clear game plan, which was to keep the pressure on Jones and look for takedowns while negating the champion’s reach. Although Cormier did a decent job of working inside, he couldn’t solve Jones’ takedown defense, as he landed only one takedown on eight attempts.
Many believed an elite wrestler would have the tools to beat Jones by putting the titleholder in a position he’s unfamiliar with. However, wrestlers in MMA don’t come much more elite than Cormier, and even he wasn’t able to make Jones work from the bottom position.
Watch the above YouTube video for highlights from Jones’ win on Saturday.
It wasn’t complete domination, as Cormier did win one round on all three scorecards and came close to winning another, but the UFC 182 main event left many wondering exactly how anybody in the light heavyweight division is supposed to beat Jones. Already considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA heading into UFC 182, Jones continues to look more and more unbeatable by the day.
With his win over Cormier, Jones has now defended his belt on eight consecutive occasions. That puts him one win behind George St-Pierre’s most notable championship reign and two victories away from tying Anderson Silva for the UFC record.
There’s really no longer any question that Jones is one of the best to ever step into the Octagon. Now, it’s all about determining whether he can surpass the likes of St-Pierre and Silva to become the greatest fighter in MMA history.
Daniel Cormier pushed Jon Jones all night long at UFC 182 on Saturday, but it wasn’t to be. Jones is the class of the light heavyweight division and retained his championship title.
Cormier came out fast and kept a high pace through the early rounds, b…
Daniel Cormier pushed Jon Jones all night long at UFC 182 on Saturday, but it wasn’t to be. Jones is the class of the light heavyweight division and retained his championship title.
Cormier came out fast and kept a high pace through the early rounds, but he began to fade when the championship rounds hit. Jones took over the fight en route to the decision. It left Cormier broken and defeated. At the post-fight press conference, the emotions became too much.
The elite wrestler should not feel down for too long, because one look at the current light heavyweight landscape will show him that he is not far off from a rematch.
The winner of the upcoming bout between Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Johnson will determine the next contender. That is almost a certainty. After those two contenders, the ranks are nearly depleted.
Rashad Evans is still recovering from injury. Phil Davis looked awful against Johnson. Glover Teixeira was defeated soundly by Jones, and Ryan Bader is only on a three-fight win streak over non-Top 10 competition. One win, or maybe two, for Cormier would put him right back in the catbird seat.
Cormier’s next fight will most likely still be against a Top 15 light heavyweight, but it should be a favorable matchup for him. A win there should put him right back into a title eliminator fight—or even possibly a title rematch right away, should all the pieces fall into place.
A big question mark will be the health of Cormier’s knee. If he addresses that issue, we do not know how long the contender will be on the shelf.
Jones’ dominance at 205 pounds has made many of his past opponents non-factors. The manner in which he beat most of his opposition makes them unappealing contenders even with win streaks. That is why no one is talking about Bader being a title contender.
Cormier was competitive enough to make a rematch feasible. He showed a champion’s heart and demonstrated that he can create issues for Jones while even at a physical disadvantage.
If the Jones-Cormier rematch becomes a realistic possibility in late 2015 or early 2016, the UFC will have another marquee fight on the docket. This rivalry will continue to draw the interest from hardcore and casual fans alike. And that is one of the main reasons Cormier can jump right back into title contention.
It was a rough night for the challenger, but Jones and the title are still within sight. The loss at UFC 182 did not erase Cormier from the title picture. He is good enough, and intelligent enough, to make the right adjustments to challenge Jones even more in a rematch.
The two talented fighters must win their next couple of fights, but the rematch is close, thanks to a weak division.
In arguably the most anticipated light heavyweight showdown in UFC history, pound-for-pound great Jon Jones cemented his claim as the best ever by defeating former undefeated challenger Daniel Cormier Saturday night at UFC 182.
The five-round champions…
In arguably the most anticipated light heavyweight showdown in UFC history, pound-for-pound great Jon Jones cemented his claim as the best ever by defeating former undefeated challenger Daniel Cormier Saturday night at UFC 182.
The five-round championship tilt delivered on all cylinders, culminating with a unanimous-decision victory for the champ on the heels of near-perfect clinch work and outstanding wrestling.
It marks Jones’ eighth straight title defense and the first time in DC’s professional career that he was outmatched for even a round.
While the grudge match didn’t feature a memorable finish or death-defying effort by the challenger, it did live up to its billing.
But what facts can we take away from 2015’s jumping-off point?
What can we learn from Jones and Cormier after their epic feud came to a head?
Look no further.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
For all the talk surrounding Cormier‘s wrestling and soon-to-be ability to take the champ down and grind out a decision, Jones truly capitalized in close quarters.
His efforts inside allowed him to dictate the pace and fashion of this fight, which comes as a surprise considering most of his damage usually comes from his long-range striking.
Furthermore, Jones’ strength and technique against the cage helped propel him to a two-takedown fourth round and the bout’s overall defining moment.
The final few seconds of the fight when Jones put his hands up in victory then decided to hit Cormier one more time was simply par for the course when it comes to their growing rivalry.
What We Learned AboutJones
What can really be said about Jones?
We all knew he was ranked as the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world for a reason. Saying that I was surprised by anything he did would be dishonest.
However, we did see how good Jones’ wrestling can be if he’s forced to focus on that particular discipline leading up to a fight.
Alexander Gustafsson probably wouldn’t take him down again if the rematch actually happens.
The fact that Jones continues to evolve as a prolific clinch fighter just adds to the dangerous weapons he brings to the Octagon every time out.
What We Learned AboutCormier
Cormier‘s ability to get inside on Jones and land some combinations needs to be commemorated.
It was important for him to establish his range early because Jones was sporting a massive 12″ reach advantage.
Besides that, Cormier was unable to impose his will like he usually does, at least in the times we’ve seen him dismantle guys like Dan Henderson.
But we knew that it was going to be tough to ragdoll Jones. Jones is easily the most athletic and skilled fighter on offense DC has ever faced and probably ever will.
With a somewhat depleted gas tank and deflated confidence level, Cormier‘s final efforts over the last two frames were thwarted by the champ’s conditioning and relentless pressure.
What’s Next for Jones
There is a small chance that Jones sees this victory over Cormier as the cherry on his light heavyweight title reign and makes a move up to heavyweight, but there’s just too much money in a Gustafsson rematch to do that.
Therefore, fighting the winner of Gustafsson vs. Anthony Johnson, which takes place at UFC on Fox 14 later this month, is the only logical move.
At the end of the day, this fight was not as close as many people may have thought, and a rematch is highly unlikely.
Jones will be back and probably better than ever.
What’s Next for Cormier
It’s going to be difficult for an athlete of Cormier‘s age and class to take his first professional loss as a blessing in disguise, but it’s not like he got ran out of the building.
There were a few good things in this fight that DC was able to do. He should hang his hat on that and understand that it’s not easy beating the best in the world.
With that said, assuming the 35-year-old doesn’t ride off into the sunset and take commentating over fighting, getting back in the cage as soon as he can is the best remedy for defeat.
Facing the loser of Gustafsson vs. Johnson makes the most sense.
It wasn’t enough for Jon “Bones” Jones to simply defeat his rival Daniel Cormier on Saturday at UFC 182. Jones had to make a statement with his win. 