Tag: daniel cormier

UFC President Dana White appeared on Wednesday’s afternoon edition of SportsCenter to confirm a UFC 173 co-main event showdown between light heavyweight standouts Dan Henderson and Daniel Cormier. 

Ranked No. 6 and No. 5 in the division, respectively, the winner of this bout will take a leap toward title contention in the light heavyweight division. 

Henderson most recently knocked out Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Henderson 2, while Cormier debuted at light heavyweight in February at UFC 170, defeating Patrick Cummins via TKO in Round 1.

Before his decision to drop to 205, Cormier racked up 13 straight wins as a heavyweight, taking out notable opponents such as Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Josh Barnett,  Frank Mir and Roy Nelson. 

This Henderson vs. Cormier matchup was originally targeted for UFC 175 in July, but White’s SportsCenter announcement confirms that the bout will instead take place May 24 at UFC 173, more than a month ahead of schedule. 

For the 43-year-old Henderson, this news represents a questionably quick return to action. 

Henderson’s recent victory over Shogun occurred March 23, meaning that Hendo will step back into the UFC Octagon almost exactly two months after that battle.

This would not be unheard of if Henderson had got in and out unscathed against Shogun, but the reality is that Hendo absorbed a ton of punishment in that fight and was nearly stopped on multiple occasions. 

With 41 fights on his record—many of them rock ’em, sock ’em scraps—Henderson’s decision to jump back into the fire against an elite opponent like Cormier may prove costly both now and in the future. 

That said, counting out Henderson is a deadly thing to do, and he undoubtedly understands his body and feels he is ready to make a run to the top. 

Who are you taking in this fight? Will Hendo turn back time and throw himself back into title contention with a win, or will Cormier remain unbeaten? 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

The UFC light heavyweight title scene just got a little more interesting.

On Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight (h/t Dave Doyle and Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com), it was announced that the winner of Dan Henderson vs. Daniel Cormier will ultimately get a shot at the 205-pound crown.

Henderson and Cormier are expected to throw down at UFC 175, which features a middleweight title clash between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida.

But lets not get ahead of ourselves. First, Jon Jones will attempt to defend his light heavyweight title for an impressive seventh time as he takes on the more than dangerous Glover Teixeira later this month at UFC 172.

Teixeira may in fact be the toughest test thus far in Jones’ illustrious and highly productive career, so their long-awaited championship bout is most certainly up for grabs.

After that, Alexander Gustafsson will rightfully get the next shot at the belt. The towering Swede went toe-to-toe with Jones back in September at UFC 165, but didn’t earn the decision after putting on one of the gutsiest performances of all time.

He’ll pose a threat to either Jones or Teixeira, as he rides the momentum of his recent second-round finish of hard-nosed Jimi Manuwa back in early March.

Once those title implications and potentially the greatest rematch in UFC history hashes itself out, Henderson or Cormier will be next in line.

For Henderson, a 43-year-old journeyman who many consider the greatest fighter of all time to never hold a UFC title, he will look to regain his divisional footing after mustering a monstrous comeback finish over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua last month in Natal, Brazil.

For Cormier, an undefeated Olympic wrestler hellbent on proving he deserves to fight the best, he’ll attempt to feed off of Henderson’s name and resume in order to not only create buzz amongst fans, but earn a shot at the light heavyweight title by shutting down one of the best of all time.

Now while it may seem crazy to give “Hendo” such an opportunity after dropping three of his last four Octagon appearances, he’s still one of the biggest names in the sport, and the UFC would be downright foolish to not push his remaining potential.

In any case, this is huge news for both men. Cormier has been waiting for this opportunity and will most likely be the best “DC” we’ve ever seen.

But when it really comes down to it, can you ever underestimate the “H-Bomb?”

 

For more UFC news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

A bout between light heavyweights Daniel Cormier and Dan Henderson just got a lot more interesting.

Cormier and Henderson meet at UFC 175 on July 5. Both fighters have verbally agreed to the bout. It will serve as the co-main event for the event headlined by Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida.

Cormier was originally scheduled to face Rafael Cavalcante at the same event. But the promotion opted to give the fight to Henderson after his stunning come-from-behind win over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua last month.

Cormier was expected to be next in line for a title shot with a win. But on UFC Tonight, Ariel Helwani reported that the winner of the fight will get the next title shot after Alexander Gustafsson. That includes Henderson, who had lost three consecutive fights before beating Rua.

Cormier is coming off a successful light heavyweight debut at UFC 170, where he beat Patrick Cummins. The win moved his career record to 14-0. All but one of his wins came in the heavyweight division, where he was a top contender. But Cormier opted to leave the division rather than face teammate Cain Velasquez, the UFC’s current heavyweight champion.

UFC 175 is one of the UFC’s hallmark pay-per-view events of the year. It takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas during International Fight Week 2014. The following day, The Ultimate Fighter 19 finale, featuring Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn, will take place in the same venue. It is the third meeting between Edgar and Penn, with Edgar holding two victories. It will also serve as Penn’s featherweight debut after years of competing in higher weight classes.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com