When UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones squares off against Daniel Cormier on Saturday in the main event of UFC 182, mixed martial arts fans will witness the culmination of months of trash talking.
There are few megafights anymore due to the over…
When UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones squares off against Daniel Cormier on Saturday in the main event of UFC 182, mixed martial arts fans will witness the culmination of months of trash talking.
There are few megafights anymore due to the oversaturation of the UFC product, but hardcore and casual MMA fans alike can get behind the battle between Jones and Cormier. After several pre-fight verbal arguments and a physical confrontation at a press conference, fight fans are ready to see the action in the Octagon.
Here is the full UFC 182 fight card, predictions for each bout and what gives challenger Daniel Cormier the edge in this matchup.
Daniel Cormier’s Biggest Edge
While there is no discounting the wrestling ability of Jon Jones, the advantage Cormier has over the champion is his elite ability on the mat.
From the very beginning of his wrestling career, Cormier was a man to be feared. With three state championships, two National Junior College Athletic Association Championships and a second-place finish at nationals while at Oklahoma State University in 2001, he is one of the most decorated wrestlers in the UFC.
Add in the fact that Cormier joined the Team USA freestyle wrestling team and was on the 2004 and 2008 Olympic teams, and there is no doubt that he is one of the most gifted mat technicians in the sport today.
Jon Anik of Fox Sports 1 revealed Jones’ thoughts on Cormier’s perceived wrestling advantage:
The trash talking has heated up overall, as Jones told Fox Sports 1’s America’s Pregame (h/t MMAJunkie.com) that he’d be ready to fight at the weigh-ins if necessary. Cormier immediately responded to those comments:
I think you have to (keep your emotions in check). What’s the point of fighting on Friday when we’ve got to wait 24 hours to fight on Saturday? Right now, it’s about staying the course and being professional. It will be good to see him in that state.
As Jon says, we take it how it goes. It’s a matter of, “How are we going to do this?” I would prefer to wait until Saturday, but if we had to fight on Friday, it would be OK, I guess.
While Cormier has the edge, Jones is no slouch. Not only did he also win a high school state championship, but he also was able to win a NJCAA Championship in 2006, just as Cormier did.
Jones may not have the extensive college and Olympic wrestling training that Cormier does, but the champion does have more Brazilian jiu-jitsu training and a serious advantage in experience inside the UFC Octagon.
With Cormier’s move from heavyweight to light heavyweight, he has a serious amount of power in his punches and is the kind of challenger who would give Jones trouble. It will be a great main event and fans should be ready to see a new champion crowned.
Predicted Winner: Cormier via fourth-round technical knockout.
Like many MMA fans, I’d love to see Jon Jones fight Alexander Gustafsson again, but the bout with Daniel Cormier Saturday in Las Vegas at UFC 182 is Bones’ defining fight. We may never see a more genuinely hate-charged buildup for a bout.
I’ve seen ple…
Like many MMA fans, I’d love to see Jon Jones fight Alexander Gustafsson again, but the bout with Daniel Cormier Saturday in Las Vegas at UFC 182 is Bones’ defining fight. We may never see a more genuinely hate-charged buildup for a bout.
I’ve seen plenty of fights in boxing and MMA where the hype was about as real as a unicorn. Call me gullible, but I’m a believer in the bad blood between Bones and DC. Apparently, I’m not alone—Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter and Jonathan Snowden are apparently all in as well.
The atmosphere the two fighter’s volatile relationship has set up is great for the sport, but it adds a potentially harmful element for Jones. Can he fight mad?
Stakes Are High
Obviously, Jones is defending his title, but the stakes are higher than the belt. Jones already owns the record for most title defenses of the light heavyweight crown. He’s just three wins short of tying Anderson Silva’s overall mark.
If he wins Saturday, it might be a while before another legitimate threat arises. If Gustafsson gets past Anthony “Rumble” Johnson later this month, then a rematch with him seems like the next fight. With a second look, it seems as if Jones could make a rematch with Gustafsson look a little easier than the first bout.
Bones could be on his way to becoming the greatest fighter of all time.
Aside from records and titles, Jones’ pride is on the line. He and Cormier can’t stand each other, and that obviously brings about a tension. Jones put it best in this interview with UFC.com’s Matt Parrino when he said, “no one wants to lose to someone you don’t like.”
Because of that dynamic, Jones will be under even more pressure than usual.
Cormier‘s Wrestling
Jones has faced guys like ChaelSonnen and Rashad Evans. Both are tremendous wrestlers, yet neither of them are on Cormier‘s level in that regard.
When it comes to technique and brute strength, you would be hard-pressed to find any fighter—regardless of weight class—with a better wrestling base than Cormier.
He knows who he is, and he’ll bring that into the Octagon as his ace in the hole. Jones has shown the tendency to try and beat opponents at their own game. If he does that against Cormier, he’ll be playing in the lion’s den.
Cormier‘s Fighting I.Q.
Usually, Jones is the smartest man in the cage. That might not be the case when he faces Cormier. DC is a thinking man’s fighter, and he’s able to process information and incorporate it quickly in a fight.
Cormier has been so dominant that he hasn’t had to adapt much in the cage, but his game plans have been impeccable against the likes of Roy Nelson, Dan Henderson and others. Cormier used movement and kicks to keep Nelson off balance before going in for the kill.
Against Henderson, Cormier‘s takedown techniques and speed advantage made the future Hall of Famer and Greco-Roman wrestler look like an amateur.
Finding a way to beat Jones will be Cormier‘s biggest assignment, but the same can also be said for Jones. The winner of this bout be determined by the fighter who wins the chess match and not just the scrap.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
This is the one we’ve all been waiting for.
After one change in opponent and a bevy of knee surgeries, light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will finally defend his title against Daniel Cormier on Saturday at UFC 182.
Are we stoked? Dude, we’re mor…
Are we stoked? Dude, we’re more than stoked. What comes after stoked?
If Jones-Cormier even halfway-kinda lives up to the hype, we might see Fight of the Year honors wrapped up during the very first event of 2015. The rest of the card ain’t too shabby, either.
As is always the case in situations as emotionally charged as this one, bold men are required. You’ve got Jones, the seemingly unbeatable 205-pound king. You’ve got Cormier, the undefeated challenger.
And then you’ve got Bleacher Report Lead Writers Chad Dundas (that’s me) and Jonathan Snowden, who are here to give you a sneak preview of how it’s all going to go down.
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 ar…
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.
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.
UFC 182 is Saturday, but we are not quite there yet. First, all 22 athletes hit the scale on Friday to make weight for the event.
The Las Vegas fight card is headlined by one of the most heated grudge matches in UFC history. UFC light heavyweight champ…
UFC 182 is Saturday, but we are not quite there yet. First, all 22 athletes hit the scale on Friday to make weight for the event.
The Las Vegas fight card is headlined by one of the most heated grudge matches in UFC history. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones puts his belt on the line against No. 2-ranked contender Daniel Cormier. It is easily one of the most compelling fights in recent memory under the UFC banner.
Lightweights Donald Cerrone and Myles Jury will meet in the co-main event as they try to state their case for a lightweight title shot.
Fox Sports 1 will host the weigh-ins at 7 p.m. ET on Friday evening. Check back here for all of your UFC 182 weigh-in coverage.
LAS VEGAS — Of the many UFC “rivalries” over the years, 98 percent of them are fake, created out of thin air for the purpose of selling pay-per-views.
We have heard endless stories of fighters who hate each other, only to see them hug after the f…
LAS VEGAS — Of the many UFC “rivalries” over the years, 98 percent of them are fake, created out of thin air for the purpose of selling pay-per-views.
We have heard endless stories of fighters who hate each other, only to see them hug after the fight and admit they were just trying to sell it. Fans are jaded when it comes to these kinds of things, and rightly so, because they have been burned before and expect to be burned again.
But when it comes to Saturday’s UFC 182 main event between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, they can rest assured that the hatred is 100 percent real.
This should be obvious to anyone who saw Jones and Cormier‘s faceoff devolve into a wild brawl in the lobby of the MGM Grand last summer. That moment created a sense of anticipation that arrives whenever Jones and Cormier are scheduled to face off again.
Will they fight outside the Octagon? Will newly minted UFC vice president of public relations Dave Sholler be sent flying through a backdrop? Will a reporter be hit in the face by a flying shoe?
These are all valid questions.
Jones and Cormier faced off without incident to close out Thursday’s Ultimate Media Day. Mostly. They strolled across the stage with purpose, which caused Dana White‘s spidey senses to start tingling.
“Neither one of those guys were stopping,” White said. “They were both coming forward, and they would have hit each other again. You gotta know that when guys are moving too fast, you have to get in there and stop them.”
White stepped between them, but Jones and Cormier stood inches from each other and unleashed verbal fireworks.
After what seemed like an eternity, White stepped back and told Jones and Cormier to face the crowd of media and photographers assembled in front of the stage. Out of habit, White walked to the side of the stage. Jones and Cormier turned back to face each other.
The tension in the room escalated, and White quickly jumped back between them.
After the conclusion of the media day, White met with a small group of reporters backstage in the MGM Grand Garden Arena. He said it was a mistake to allow Jones and Cormier to stand next to each other.
“That was really stupid. But it’s very rare that you can’t leave two guys there to stand shoulder to shoulder,” White said.
The build to the fight has been pitch-perfect. White never talks about PPV numbers in public, but said on Thursday that he expects the show to pull in about 750,000 buys.
After a rough 2014 in which PPV numbers were down across the board, a successful event would be a breath of fresh air for the UFC president, who returned to Las Vegas on Wednesday night after a trip to Los Angeles to promote the fight.
“Everywhere I went, people were talking about how they can’t wait for Saturday,” he said. “We had a rough year last year. We’re due for one of these.”
Gibson Confident in Star Pupil Jones
Brandon Gibson, the striking coach for Jones and other fighters at the famed Jackson/Winkeljohn gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico, says that Jones is better than he’s ever been.
“His cardio is better than I’ve ever seen. His mental fortitude and mindset going into this fight is the best I’ve ever seen. His weight right now, for Thursday of fight week is the best,” Gibson says. “His striking is sharp and polished, and we have new tools. He’s fantastic. I’m confident.”
The entire Jackson/Winkeljohn staff takes cues from Jackson, a massive history buff who has a habit of using military terminology when instructing his fighters.
Jackson approaches each fight like a chess match or a battle, and his goal is to give his fighters the ability to recognize certain openings and how to best take advantage of them. Gibson says Jones recognizes those openings and reacts to them better than anyone in the world.
The Jackson team also develops playbooks on each opponent, highlighting weakness and potential openings to exploit. Gibson says the playbooks take years to develop and are a constant work in progress.
“There are times we’ll be in certain camps and we’ll go back and look at the playbooks for Chael [Sonnen] or Rashad [Evans] or Shogun [Rua], and we’ll draw from them. Maybe there’s a seed we planted that wasn’t sown in that fight, but it can be in this fight,” he says. “So some of those past playbooks can inspire us. We have a lot of respect for AKA and DC. All of these guys are the best in the world, and we are striving to stay one step ahead of them.”
McGregor in Ireland Likely up Next
White also confirmed that surging UFC star ConorMcGregor will earn a title shot with a win over Dennis Siver on January 18.
I asked White to confirm recent rumors (via the Irish Mirror) that the UFC has a hold on Dublin’s Croke Park in May.
“Interesting,” he said. He would not confirm or deny the reports, but the smile on his face said everything. “You know that place is a 90,000-seat arena? We could sell it out with McGregor.”
White also said that the Boston event—McGregor‘s first big main event in the United States—will be a sellout. It is clear that White believes in McGregor‘s ability to draw a crowd and said it would be a hallmark fight for the featherweight division.
“It will be the biggest fight that division’s ever had,” he said. “And it will be the biggest payday [Jose] Aldo’s ever had.”
Cerrone Relaxed in Spotlight
The first Donald Cerrone fight I covered live was WEC 43, when he challenged Benson Henderson for the WEC lightweight title.
The Cerrone I interacted with during that fight week in San Antonio is far different than the Cerrone you see today. Back then, he was tense and angry, traits he says were relics left over from his days as a kickboxer.
Today, he is relaxed. Clad in jeans, a camouflage jacket and a very large gold belt buckle, Cerrone clearly does not feel the pressure that comes with being in a high-profile bout. It is the first time his opponent, Myles Jury, has been in such a prominent position.
Cerrone used to feel the nerves he says Jury is likely experiencing, but those days are long gone.
“I’m just living life and having fun,” Cerrone says.
For his part, Jury told me he is not feeling any added pressure.
“It’s not overwhelming. I was in The Ultimate Fighter 15 for three months. I fought in the co-main event in my last fight,” Jury says. “I mean, it’s more than I’ve ever done before, but it’s not overwhelming.”
When UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones squares off against Daniel Cormier on Saturday in the main event of UFC 182, mixed martial arts fans will witness the culmination of months of trash talking.