A top heavyweight contender—and an intriguing future addition to the UFC’s light heavyweight division—has signed a new contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will keep him with the world’s largest fight promotion for the fore…
A top heavyweight contender—and an intriguing future addition to the UFC’s light heavyweight division—has signed a new contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will keep him with the world’s largest fight promotion for the foreseeable future.
Daniel Cormier (13-0, 2-0 UFC) has signed a new eight-fight deal with the promotion.
Cormier became a free agent after beating Roy Nelson at UFC 166 in October, though Cormier told Bleacher Report at the time that he had no intentions of discussing a contract with any other fight promotion and that it would merely be a matter of time before he signed a new deal.
He confirmed the news with UFC Tonight‘s Ariel Helwani on Wednesday night.
Cormier also disputed the recent rumors surrounding a March fight with former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, which could take place at UFC 171.
That event, which takes place on March 15 in Dallas, is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira. Jones and Cormier have engaged in a war of words for nearly a year and Cormier is considered a potential threat to Jones’ history-making title reign.
Cormier told Helwani that he wanted to fight sooner than March, which means we could see the undefeated heavyweight make his light heavyweight debut in late February.
Few other opponents in the division make sense. Cormier deserves a top-ranked light heavyweight, and of the top five fighters in the division, only Phil Davis (No. 4) is currently active and without a fight scheduled.
(“MR. JONES, MR. JONES, TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS ‘GATORADE’ DRINK. IS IT TRUE THAT IT QUENCHES THIRST *AND* RESTORES ELECTROLYTES?” / Photo via Getty)
Super Bowl weekend didn’t work. February 22nd didn’t work either. But we have a good feeling that the latest date for Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira is going to stick, you guys. As revealed by UFC press secretary Ariel Helwani on the latest episode of UFC Tonight, the impending light-heavyweight title fight has been scheduled to headline UFC 171, March 15th at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
(“MR. JONES, MR. JONES, TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS ‘GATORADE’ DRINK. IS IT TRUE THAT IT QUENCHES THIRST *AND* RESTORES ELECTROLYTES?” / Photo via Getty)
Super Bowl weekend didn’t work. February 22nd didn’t work either. But we have a good feeling that the latest date for Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira is going to stick, you guys. As revealed by UFC press secretary Ariel Helwani on the latest episode of UFC Tonight, the impending light-heavyweight title fight has been scheduled to headline UFC 171, March 15th at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Like all sports, MMA has its own collection of talking points that seem to exist in perpetuity, but arguably the most divisive issue surrounds the teammate vs. teammate debate.
The vast majority of fans would likely come down on the same side on issues…
Like all sports, MMA has its own collection of talking points that seem to exist in perpetuity, but arguably the most divisive issue surrounds the teammate vs. teammate debate.
The vast majority of fans would likely come down on the same side on issues such as testosterone replacement therapy, fighter pay, judging, refereeing, etc.
While not as emotional as the aforementioned issues, the teammate vs. teammate debate is truly polarizing.
Some recognize just how counterintuitive it is to fight one’s friends, while others argue that it should be viewed as just another form of competition—with a little traumatic brain injury thrown in.
Whatever your view, there is no doubt that many potentially compelling matchups have fallen by the wayside as a result of the friendships that exist within the sport.
Read on for a rundown of some of the most intriguing fights that, due to friendship, never materialized.
Rashad Evans is back on track and hunting down a shot at the light heavyweight title.
He erased any doubt that lingered about his heart being in the game when he steamrolled former two-divisional title challenger Chael Sonnen at UFC 167 on Saturday. It…
Rashad Evans is back on track and hunting down a shot at the light heavyweight title.
He erased any doubt that lingered about his heart being in the game when he steamrolled former two-divisional title challenger Chael Sonnen at UFC 167 on Saturday. It took the former light heavyweight champion less than a full round to pound out the “Gangster from West Linn,” as Evans picked up the TKO victory to give him back-to-back wins.
By defeating Sonnen, the former Michigan State University wrestling standout joins a crowded title picture in the 205-pound division that includes Alexander Gustafsson, Phil Davis and former heavyweight contender-turned-light-heavyweight-title-hopeful Daniel Cormier.
With “The Mauler” slated to face Jimi Manuwa at UFC Fight Night: London in March, the remaining three fighters are in a unique position. While rumors swirled of a Davis vs. Cormier bout for early 2014, those plans seem to be going in a different direction, according to Evans.
During an interview on UFC Tonight on Wednesday, Evans said he believes his next fight will come against Cormier. The former The Ultimate Fighter winner reiterated nothing is remotely official, but he’s been hearing talk that his next outing will come against the former Olympian.
While the matchup makes sense in the big picture, it seems to be the most unlikely pairing of the bunch. Evans and Cormier are friends outside of the cage and trained together in the early stages of “D.C.’s” career. Evans was once sidetracked by putting his personal relationships before fighting, but it appears those days are behind him.
There is still no official announcement on Evans vs. Cormier, but it seems to be the avenue the UFC is looking to travel, according to Evans anyway.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.
There was a lot of chaos in the aftermath of UFC 167.
Champion Georges St-Pierre lost the fight on the large majority of public scorecards, but won on two of the three that actually mattered. Johny Hendricks watched the welterweight title he prob…
There was a lot of chaos in the aftermath of UFC 167.
Champion Georges St-Pierre lost the fight on the large majority of public scorecards, but won on two of the three that actually mattered. Johny Hendricks watched the welterweight title he probably earned float back to the welterweight king upon Bruce Buffer’s announcement. If that weren’t enough, the pound-for-pound great skittered his way through a post-fight interview that sounded like a retirement only to have UFC president Dana White toss him under the bus at the post-fight press conference.
With all that insanity it’s easy to lose track of one of the night’s biggest winners and the triumphant return of Rashad Evans. Granted, the former light heavyweight champion put the brakes on a recent rough patch by defeating Dan Henderson at UFC 161 in June, but it was his utter steamrolling of former two-divisional title challenger ChaelSonnen that confirmed his re-arrival back to form.
While the bout was ultimately a short showing and ended well before the conclusion of the opening round, “Suga” has never looked better as he systematically dismantled the “Gangster from West Linn.” There were no wasted movement in Evans’ attack as every inch of his physical output went to getting rid of Sonnen in the early goings. And after putting the Oregon native on his back, he did just that, as Evans took full mount and pounded out the stoppage.
With the victory, Evans has now collected wins in back-to-back showings and reclaims his seat at the table of potential title contenders in the 205-pound division. That said, the current state of the light heavyweight fold is entrenched in a bit of chaos—not UFC 167-type chaos, but chaos nonetheless.
Let’s take a look at the what’s going on in the UFC’s “crown jewel” division.
There Is Going to Be a Title Fight at 205 Before 2015
So far, the only thing we know about the title picture in the light heavyweight division is that Jon Jones and Glover Teixeira are going to fight some time.
We originally thought it was going to be at UFC 169 on Feb. 1, but that date was scrapped due to “Bones” needing more time. Then the UFC came out last week to say they were going to dance at UFC 170 on Feb. 22, but apparently that night isn’t going to work either as the promotion announced the fight was a no-go less than 24 hours after making it public.
With Jones and Teixeira tangled up in a title fight that will go down some time in 2014, the race to earn the next title shot will hit a full-on foot race. Yet, while the next championship opportunity is certainly a valuable grab, the path to said opportunity will come with some twists and turns.
The fighter standing in the shortest line is Alexander Gustafsson. After taking Jones to the wire and pushing the pound-for-pound great further than anyone had done in the superstar’s young career, “The Mauler” began to campaign for an immediate rematch. Where a second go ’round with Jones seemed to be the most likely option, the UFC decided to go with the Brazilian knockout artist for the next challenger.
That said, in the aftermath of Jones vs. Gustafsson, UFC president Dana White suggested the 26-year-old Swede would get another shot at the title if he found success in his next fight. Where the promotion originally announced his opponent to be Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, “Lil Nog” pulled what appeared to be one of the year’s most curious moments when he immediately pulled out of the fight with injury.
Following Nogueira’s removal from the bout, White went public with the announcement being premature, nevertheless, it left the recent title challenger without an opponent. That issue was solved in the days that followed as the UFC tapped British slugger JimiManuwa to face the Swedish striker, and the two will square off when the promotion returns to London on March 8.
Should Gustafsson hand the “Poster Boy” his first professional loss, a title shot will be his reward. On the other hand, if the Team Alliance fighter comes up short, things are going to get extremely interesting, and the avenue to the throne will be wide open.
Someone Is Going to Be the Odd Man Out
Rashad Evans picked up a huge win over ChaelSonnen this past Saturday at UFC 167, and in the process joined a crowded upper tier, all waiting for their chance at a title shot.
While the Blackzilians-trained fighter certainly looked fantastic in drubbing the former title challenger, he now finds himself standing next to two familiar faces in Phil Davis and heavyweight contender turned soon-to-be light heavyweight Daniel Cormier.
Where Evans and Davis shared cage time at UFC on Fox 2 in January of 2012, with the former TUF winner taking the unanimous decision, the relationship between Evans and Cormier is on a different level. The two are good friends and trained together in the early stages of D.C.’s career. Both have had issues when fighting a friend or training partner has come into question and would most likely be the road both would hope to avoid.
Nevertheless, a fight needs to be made. With Evans and Davis having fought less than two years ago, a rematch between the two at this point seems highly unlikely. That would put Davis vs. Cormier as the most likely option and would push Evans out to the side for the time being.
“Mr. Wonderful” is coming off the biggest win—albeit a controversial one—over former light heavyweight champion LyotoMachida at UFC 163 in August. The 29-year-old has found victory in three consecutive showings and is on the cusp of earning a title shot. Yet, he will definitely need at least one more high-profile win to get there, and his next fight will be absolutely crucial where his title hopes are concerned.
As for Cormier, the former Olympian has transitioned from a highly touted prospect under the Strikeforce banner to one of the hottest commodities on the UFC roster. The AKA product has picked up back-to-back victories since coming over to compete inside the Octagon and has a style many believe will take the title away from Jones. That said, the Louisiana native is yet to set foot in the light heavyweight division and will need a victory over a top-ranked contender to prove he’s worthy of a title shot.
That’s why a bout between Davis and Cormier makes perfect sense for both and seems to be the likely choice going forward.
If that were to happen, the only option for Evans which comes to mind would be a potential matchup with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua if he wins his upcoming bout against James Te Huna at Fight Night 33 on Dec. 6. While the former Pride champion has looked like a shell of his former self in recent outings, appearing listless in back-to-back drubbings at the hands of Gustafsson and Sonnen respectively, he still carries the type of main event name recognition that would make a bout with Evans a realistic thing.
Granted, he still needs to defeat the scrappy Sydney-based fighter, which is going to be no easy task if a re-invigorated Rua doesn’t show up. If Rua doesn’t defeat Te Huna next month, there is going to be one top-ranked light heavyweight left out in the cold as the title race heats up.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report.
The analysts for UFC on Fox and Fox Sports 1 broadcasts have been providing the most in-depth coverage mixed martial has seen in its 20 years of existence.
With a collection of seasoned fight veterans and well-versed hosts at the helm, the people worki…
The analysts for UFC on Fox and Fox Sports 1 broadcasts have been providing the most in-depth coverage mixed martial has seen in its 20 years of existence.
With a collection of seasoned fight veterans and well-versed hosts at the helm, the people working the pre– and post-fight shows for the UFC have consistently raised the bar.
In this installment of “Dropping Knowledge,” UFC heavyweight contender turned light heavyweight-in-the-making Daniel Cormier swung by the hallowed grounds of the column to offer his insight on the action set to go down this weekend at UFC 167 in Las Vegas.
The former Olympian is one of the fastest-rising stars in MMA. Over the past four years, the 34-year-old Louisiana native has gone from prospect to title contender, amassing an impressive 13-0 record. During this run, “D.C.” has built a solid resume, winning the highly touted Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix and beating former champion Frank Mir in his organizational debut at UFC on Fox 7 in April.
The AKA staple followed up a successful showing in San Jose by scoring a clean sweep over knockout artist Roy Nelson at UFC 166 in October. Despite “Big Country” being one of the most dangerous fighters when he is standing, Cormier flexed his ever-improving striking skills to pick up the victory via unanimous decision.
Cormier has now set his sights on the 205-pound division. While no opponent has been named for his official light heavyweight debut, the former Oklahoma State University wrestling standout will officially touch down in his new weight class in early 2014.
In addition to his success inside the cage, he has established himself as one of the top analysts in mixed martial arts as well. He uses a cerebral approach when breaking down the action, and his years of experience in combat sports make the information he shares easily digested with the MMA fanbase.
He made his official debut in this series back in August. This time around, Cormier came in lean and mean to share his thoughts on Saturday night’s card.
Bleacher Report: Great to have you back riding shotgun, Mr. Cormier, and let’s get down to business. Much like any time Georges St-Pierre fights, we are given the hard sell how the person who will be standing across from him inside the Octagon has the perfect style to beat him. It has been a rinse, wash and repeat process for the past four years, and now Johny Hendricks is being billed in the exact same role. Do you believe the hype surrounding this weekend’s car is more of the same promotional work, or does Hendricks actually have the perfect style to dethrone the king?
Daniel Cormier: On paper, Johny Hendricks is the perfect storm. He has power, and we’ve seen that affect Georges in the past. Condit put him down with a big shot in their fight, and it put Georges in trouble. On paper, Hendricks is the perfect storm being that he has the wrestling pedigree and he has the power. If it seems like we’ve heard this story, it’s because we have because Georges has fought Josh Koscheck twice. Koscheck has the power, and he has the wrestling pedigree. Out of everyone GSP has fought, Hendricks and Koscheck seem to have the right style. So if anyone is going to beat St-Pierre, I believe Hendricks is the guy with the right style to get it done.
B/R: A big element of the stylistic matchup that is being debated leading up to this fight is who will have the strength in the wrestling department. Hendricks is a former two-time national champion at your alma mater, and “GSP” has developed to become one of the game’s best wrestlers when the cage door closes. With your highly decorated background in the discipline, whom do you believe will have the edge in this particular category?
DC: I’m going to look at this objectively, which is very hard to do because I wear orange-colored goggles all the time. People go as far as to say Georges St-Pierre is the best wrestler in MMA, and I don’t believe that for a second because when you start wrestling in MMA—yes, it’s MMA takedowns, but it’s still wrestling. I won’t say he’s the best wrestler, but Georges’ timing is pretty good.
He does a great job of mixing in his strikes with his takedowns. In a wrestling match, Johny Hendricks wins all day. In an MMA fight, I think it is kind of a toss-up. Georges got taken down by Koscheck as did Hendricks, so looking at how they fared against a common opponent, I think it’s a toss-up in that department.
Koscheck did much better in the second fight with St-Pierre because he was prepared for his takedowns, and since Johny Hendricks has been training back home in Stillwater, he’s going to be well-prepared for the wrestling of Georges St-Pierre. I think wrestling in this fight is going to be a wash, but if anybody is going to have the edge in this fight with takedowns, it’s going to be Johny because he’s been working with more high-level guys leading into this fight.
B/R: St-Pierre is one of the most dominant champions in UFC history and has accomplished this feat by being one of the most methodical fighters to ever step into the Octagon. No matter what happens in the fight, St-Pierre doesn’t break game plan, and based on the strength of said game plan, he is rarely ever in a position where he would have to consider doing so. How does Hendricks get St-Pierre to fight his fight on Saturday night?
DC: You have to make him uncomfortable. Georges won’t stray from his game plan, so you have to force him to. This is why I enjoy watching Georges St-Pierre. People talk about my fights and how I do things, but I like to follow my game plans just like Georges does. And I will not veer away from it until someone makes me. Georges does the same thing. The only way to make him break game plan is to force him out of it and into a dogfight. Carlos Condit put him in a dogfight, and Georges was forced to do some things he wouldn’t normally do. Condit knocked him down, and Georges survived, and from there on he fought Condit because he had to.
When Georges was able to control Nick Diaz any which way he wanted to, he fought his game plan all the way through. Johny needs to hurt Georges early or go out there, take him down and keep him down. That will take him out of his game plan. He has to force Georges to fight a different way. Did Dan Hardy make him fight? No. Did Josh Koscheck make him fight? No. Condit has been the only guy in years to make him stray from his game plan, and Hendricks has to find a way to make that happen. Georges will not do it for him.
On another note, I enjoy watching Georges St-Pierre fight. I think his fights are beautiful because he never lets his opponents fight where they are comfortable. I think it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in MMA.
B/R: The co-main event features two personal friends of yours in Rashad Evans and ChaelSonnen. With both coming from wrestling backgrounds, the stylistic matchup seems to be one of those “similar but different” situations. What is your take on how things will play out between these two light heavyweights at UFC 167?
DC: This is a hard one for me and everybody else who are close to them. You would much rather them not be fighting, and you hate to pick when it’s two friends. They are both wrestlers, and I’ve trained with them both. I trained with Rashad very early in my career, but after training with Chael just recently, you have to understand he is going to do certain things every time. He’s going to put a lot of pressure on. He’s going to attempt takedowns. And guess what? He’s probably going to take Rashad down.
Rashad needs to understand that even if he gets taken down, he has to get up and put the fight back on the feet, where I think he holds a pretty clear advantage in the striking. I think it’s going to be a tough fight and will come down to Rashad being able to take Chael down and keep him there. Chael has shown he isn’t very effective on his back. Rashad needs to take him down and control him.
I love ChaelSonnen. I think he’s a fantastic fighter. But I think if Rashad Evans fights like Rashad Evans can fight, it’s a pretty straightforward fight for him.
B/R: While their fight is as high profile as they come at 205, the bout feels to have more pressure on Evans’ side of the table. Sonnen also broke out of a recent rough patch, but with his road ahead already paved with The Ultimate Fighter coaching duties and a Wanderlei Silva fight, it seems he will be unaffected win or lose. That doesn’t feel like the case with Evans, and do you believe there is more urgency on him to find victory in this fight?
DC: I think there is more urgency surrounding Rashad in this fight only because a win puts him right back in the conversation for another title shot. He lost to Jones…but everybody has lost to Jones. He lost to Nogueira—which was a huge disappointment—but he rebounded by defeating Henderson in his next fight. If he comes out and beats ChaelSonnen in this fight, he is going to be right back into title contention or maybe one fight away. I don’t think Chael is as close to that as Rashad is, and that is why I think there is more urgency surrounding Rashad in this fight.
B/R: The fight between Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler has plenty of interesting storylines heading in, but the most prominent seems to be the veteran’s resurgence and the young prospect’s rise to contention intersecting in Las Vegas. How do you see this fight playing out?
DC: I think it’s a great fight. Robbie has been nothing short of amazing since he got back to the UFC and dropped back down to 170. I think he shows that when guys fight at their normal weight class, how effective and successful you can really be. That being said, I think Rory MacDonald is the first one of that new breed of athlete coming into mixed martial arts. He’s leading that wave of kids who aren’t starting in one specific art form and then trying to hit all the other ones as they go.
We are lifetime wrestlers where guys like Rory MacDonald start at 15. And while he is a wrestler, he is also doing striking and jiu-jitsu. These guys start young, become well-rounded and reach the highest level of the sport when they are still just kids. I mean Rory was fighting in the UFC at 20 or 21 years old. I think he’s the new breed of fighter that is going to be tough for anyone to beat, and I think that will be the case in the fight on Saturday night.
B/R: Staying in the welterweight ranks, another big divisional tilt on the card will come between Josh Koscheck and TyronWoodley. Both have suffered setbacks during their recent runs, and do you believe this is a case where the winner stays but the loser is bounced from the upper tier at 170 pounds?
DC: I think that is the case…especially for Koscheck. He’s been around the top of the division for so long, and now he has two losses in a row. But think about it for a second. The fight he lost before getting knocked out by Robbie Lawler was against Johny Hendricks, and that was a super-close split decision. It was very close, and a lot of people thought “Kos” won that fight. But the truth is, if he loses this fight, it will be three in a row. That has never happened before in his career, and I think he’ll have to take a step back if that happens.
Woodley, on the other hand, had an impressive debut but then lost to Jake Shields. I think he has more time because he hasn’t been around as long. I think it’s very important for Koscheck to win this fight and he will take a further step back if he loses. If that happens, it will also make people start to question whether or not it’s time for him to start looking toward the end of the road. He’s getting older, and if he loses three fights in a row after being so successful for so long, people will start to question whether or not it’s time for him to hang it up. This fight is a big deal for both, but I think it’s a little more important for Josh to get this win.
B/R: Another big name on the bill is former WEC title challenger turned UFC contender Donald Cerrone. I have long held the belief that when there is nothing but a fight purse on the line, “Cowboy” is lights out on fight night. That said, when there is talk of title contention or a fight carries certain implications, something happens to him and Cerrone just doesn’t show up to get after it. In his fight with Evan Dunham on Saturday, the only thing at stake is money, and do you believe we are going to see the fired-up version of Cerrone on fight night?
DC: You summed it up pretty good. I think with nothing to lose and nothing to look forward to title wise, I think it is going to be a great fight because I think Evan Dunham fights the same way. I’m looking forward to a fun and exciting fight. I think this is one of those fights where it could really turn into a dogfight. It’s just one of those fun fights.
The crazy thing is that at the top of the card, all we are talking about is the title and title implications for those fights. As you move down, you start to talk about whether or not Koscheck is at the end of the line and how far Woodley falls in the division if he loses. Then you start to get to the fun fights like this matchup between Dunham and Cerrone. Cowboy fights great when there is nothing to lose, but when he starts getting to a point where there is title contention on the line, he doesn’t perform his best for some reason. Where he is right now…I think he’s going to put on a great fight. This is going to be a fun fight, and it’s guaranteed to be a fun one.
B/R: I know you do your homework in the lead-up to the cards you work, and I’m curious how many times in your preparation have you practiced saying Ali Bagautinov?
DC: You just said it wrong. It’s Bagu-a-tinov. Do you know the reason I know I’m pronouncing this correctly? It’s because I train with KhabibNurmagomedov, who is friends with the guy, and when he had his UFC debut, I actually had to do his pop up on the pre-fight show. I had to say his name over and over again until I got it right.
D.C.’s picks
Johny Hendricks def. Georges St-Pierre (Cormier admits to wearing his orange OSU goggles while making this pick)
Rashad Evans def. ChaelSonnen
Rory MacDonald def. Robbie Lawler
Josh Koscheck def. TyronWoodley
Ali Bagautinov def. Tim Elliot
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
There was a lot of chaos in the aftermath of