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The Jones Rivalry Over, What’s Next For Daniel Cormier?

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At 38 years old, there is very little in the mixed martial arts (MMA) world that Daniel “DC” Cormier has not done. He is a former Team USA Olympic Freestyle Wrestling captain, he is the former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion, he is undefeated in the UFC Heavyweight division, he is the former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, he went undefeated for 15 fights in his professional MMA career, he fought and dominated top contenders, and until UFC 214 last Saturday night (July 29, 2017), he had never been finished in a fight.

“DC” has done it all; that is, except defeat his greatest enemy, Jon “Bones” Jones.

Unfortunately for Cormier, his greatest rival also happens to be one of – if not the – greatest fighters of all-time, and their long-awaited rematch at UFC 214 in Anaheim, California, only served as more proof that Jones is simply the superior fighter.

Cormier’s record of 19-2 would be a respectable one for any fighter, especially given the caliber of fighters that “DC” has managed to beat. But it does not matter how many more number one contenders he beats, his inability to defeat Jones will forever haunt him. Cormier and Jones had a rivalry for the ages. “DC” was the aging, honorable champion with something to prove, while Jones was the troubled young man with the touch of greatness.

“DC” was looking to avenge his one loss and prove to the fans he was the true champion, while Jones was looking to redeem himself and make up for the time lost. It was a classic clash of yin and yang, Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed, the Cubs vs. the Indians, Ali vs. Frazier.

The rematch between the two had been rescheduled and postponed so many times that many fans wondered whether or not it would ever actually happen. Jones was dealing with personal issues, legal troubles and suspensions while Cormier dealt with injuries, and for over two years, “DC” reigned as the champion in “Bones’” absence.

Last night, many questions that loomed over the two best light heavyweights of all-time were answered. Would Jones’ performance be affected by his time away from the Octagon? Had “DC” made the right adjustments since their first fight to deal with Jones’ reach? Will this fight determine if Jones really is the greatest fighter of all-time?

In 13 minutes, Cormier showed how much he had improved since their first fight. He was aggressive and focused, taking control of the center of the Octagon and even getting the best of some boxing exchanges. He landed some excellent leg kicks and knocked Jones’ mouthpiece out with a nice uppercut early in the first round.

However, in the same 13 minutes, Jones showed why he is the greatest light heavyweight, and maybe even the greatest fighter, in UFC history. He withstood some hard right hands from “DC,” peppered him with his kicks, briefly took the Olympian wrestler down, and stayed ahead of the former champion in overall strikes.

But the decisive moment came by way of a devastating left high kick by Jones that connected flush to Cormier’s chin. After working the body for two rounds, Jones threw the kick at Cormier, who defended the body and left his face unprotected, and hurt “DC” badly. “DC” stumbled across the Octagon and crashed against the cage, with Jones following closely behind, sensing the kill. Jones pinned him against the face and pounded Cormier’s temple until “DC” went unconscious.

See the full fight highlights here:

Referee “Big” John McCarthy gave Cormier more than enough time to recover, as he has been known to come back from being hurt before. But there was no coming back from that head kick, and “DC” took way too many unnecessary punches to the head. He was still wobbly minutes after the stoppage.

After the fight, both fighters showed signs of wanting to move on from the rivalry.

In his post-fight interview, Jones said:

I want to take this time to thank Daniel Cormier. My biggest rival and motivator. Daniel Cormier, guys, he has absolutely no reason to hang his head. He has been a model champion, a model husband, a model father, a teammate, leader and I aspire to be a lot more like that man because he is an amazing human being. Unfortunately we are opponents, but outside of that, he is a true champion for the rest of his life.

It seems that the new champ is marking an end to the rivalry, as he proceeded to call out former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar, who still has six months left on a suspension due to a USADA anti-doping violation. Although Lesnar announced in February that he was retiring from MMA, he also accepted the challenge from Jones saying that he will fight him “anytime, anywhere.”

On the other hand, Cormier also showed signs of moving on from the rivalry, although begrudgingly. In his post-fight interview, Cormier said:

“If you win both fights, then there is no rivalry.”

Questions will arise to what is next for Cormier. Good match-ups could still be made for him in the light heavyweight division, perhaps against rising knockout artist Volkan Oezdemir, Glover Teixeira, or a rematch against Alexander Gustafsson, but at this point, it’s up to Cormier.

However, if “DC’s” goal is to win the title and retire as the champion, it is probably better he moves back up to heavyweight. Another fight with Jones might get stale for the fans and may not be the best thing for Cormier’s career, but it is hard to imagine “DC” would reinvent his career at 38 years old.

The only reason Cormier is fighting at light heavyweight in the first place is because he did not want to clash with heavyweight great and teammate Cain Velasquez, but Velasquez is still suffering from continuous injuries, so perhaps it is time for “DC” to move up in weight.

It was tough to see a hard worker and model champion like Cormier get defeated in such a violent fashion by his greatest rival, especially since “DC” had never been knocked out. But sometimes in life, the “good guy” doesn’t win, and poetic justice doesn’t exist in the fight game.

At the end of it all, we walked away from UFC 214 knowing that the only person who can defeat Daniel Cormier is Jon Jones, and the only person who can defeat Jon Jones is himself.

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New UFC 214 Promo Reminds Us How Much Jon Jones Has Wasted

On July 29, former light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones will look to redeem over five years of mistakes and regain the title that was stripped from him two years ago when he meets current UFC 205-pound champion Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 214 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. In a […]

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In a new promotional video for the event by the UFC unveiled during last night’s UFC 213 pay-per-view from Las Vegas, a young Jones speaks of what it means to be a champion, and how it would define him as a man. But as young Jones said, “This is will be a test of who I really am,” recollections of his many legal troubles since he won the title flash on screen, reminding us of the years that he has lost.

Watch the telling, emotional video here, courtesy of the UFC:

The former pound-for-pound king and youngest-ever UFC champion may still arguably be the best mixed martial artist ever, but overall his is a story of tragedy, bad choices and wasted potential. A hit-and-run accident that left a 25-year-old pregnant Albuquerque woman with a broken arm, cocaine abuse, violation of parole, and a DWI in the last five years kept him in and out of the octagon that he dominated with such ease during his torrid champion-finishing tour of 2011-2012 where he bested former titleholders Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, and Vitor Belfort in jaw-dropping succession.

In an interview with Joe Rogan last December, Bones opened up about his life, and most recently, being flagged by USADA, the UFC’s anti-doping agency, for a banned estrogen blocker prior to his anticipated grudge rematch with Daniel Cormier in the main event of last year’s UFC 200 after he beat “DC” by decision in their initial bout.

Due to his seedy past, it is obvious that his public relations strategy has changed, since he is now open about his actions instead of pretending they never happened. For a while, he was trying to paint himself as a benevolent victim instead of owning up to his actions, and it was clear that it was affecting his mental state, as evidenced by his lackluster performance against Ovince Saint Preux last year. But Jones dropped the act and has now embraced his bad boy persona, even using his actions to taunt his opponents.

In the UFC’s Summer Kickoff press conference, Jones told Cormier, “I beat you after a weekend of cocaine” Sheesh.

The UFC has also acknowledged Jones’ honesty as great promotional material, and is using it to write up a redemption story for the troubled 29-year-old star.

At UFC 214, Jones’ reckoning could come by way of knockout, submission, or decision. His fairy tale of defeating his demons and capturing ultimate greatness might be fulfilled, but a focused champion stands in his way.

Even his father, Pastor Arthur Jones, recognizes that his son “is his own worst enemy.” At the current time, there isn’t much more of an accurate view on the subject. Jones will face a career crossroads versus Cormier at UFC 214, and he may not have too many more second chances even if he is one of the UFC’s most well-known athletes.

We’ll soon find out if he is ready to be dominant once again, or if he is destined to be a tragic story of wasted greatness. If history would serve to tell us anything, the odds seem to unfortunately rest with the latter.

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Bellator 180: Phil Davis Is Out For Revenge Against Ryan Bader

You know, it’s kinda funny. Initially I had mixed feelings on this bout as far as interest goes. But after watching the first fight between these two and seeing how evenly matched they were years back, curiosity has taken over and made this one a fight to watch. The first fight was pretty close with Phil Davis and Ryan Bader negating each others wrestling. It made for a mediocre kickboxing match with moments of clinch work and the occasion wrestling scramble. Being obsessed with patterns as of late, it’s curious to see which of these two have improved upon what worked in the first match.

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Phil Davis is the reigning Bellator light heavyweight champion which speaks volumes about the talent pool that the UFC garners. Nevertheless, Davis now faces a familiar high level foe in Ryan Bader. While he may have lost the first match, Phil Davis has the opportunity to right the ship in this bout. Davis did a great deal right in the first match, but he discovered the weaknesses in Bader’s armor a bit too late and was already fighting from a deficit. His kicking game was particularly impressive considering his high level wrestling ability. His back leg front kick and round kick to legs, body, and head were money.

What the champion will need to do in order to win this rematch is embrace his length. Phil Davis has extremely long arms and legs and should be putting them to work. Rather than constantly move forward searching for the takedown and trying to score with jabs, he should instead hold his ground, back off from Bader will pumping his jab, then pushing forward with a left hook or overhand right. Once he has Bader biting on that combination, a nice level change to a reactive takedown will do nicely to dump the challenger on his back. Barring a takedown in the middle of the mat, Davis should pin Bader against the cage and fire elbows and knees in abundance to sap the challengers energy follow up with a takedown attempt.

Ryan Bader is the most recent high level Bellator convert since ditching the UFC. While the talent pool may not be the best to prove he’s the greatest in the world, we have to remember that this is still a business. As such, Bader seems to have found a home he respects in Bellator. His first fight in is against a familiar face and style in Phil Davis. Where Davis is the wrestler with strong kicks, Bader is the wrestler with powerful punches. As such, Bader will want to do much of the same as he did in their first fight. Backing Davis up with a busy jab is the first order of business and is a tool that Bader needs to embrace once more.

While his wrestling is great, Bader should be using it simply to defend takedowns and threaten Davis. It’s clear that Davis is going to want to take this fight to the ground, it’s just in his nature. Ryan Bader on the other hand embraces the power in his hands, sometimes to his detriment. Bader should touch his way in this his hand combinations and finish with a kick only when he has a proper 45 degree angle. As said before, a faked takedown could also set up some devastating shots as Davis will already be in the mindset to try and wrestle. Elbows while in the clinch will also be devastating especially against someone looking to take the fight to the ground.

Who do you think leaves the cage the light heavyweight champion?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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Fallout: Alexander Gustafsson Is Redefining Striking At Light Heavyweight

Well, that was both beautiful and hard to watch wasn’t it. Alexander Gustafsson solidified his position as the third best light heavyweight in the world with an absolutely dominant performance over the tough Glover Teixeira at UFC Fight Night 109. It was bloody, it was brutal, and it was a true masterclass in striking. Watching the battle unfold before my eyes, I caught glimpses of pure brilliance from Alexander Gustafsson who lived up to his moniker as “The Mauler” as he showed off is fast hands en route to a knockout victory. There was boxing and kickboxing on full display with some shades of karate mixed in. But not everyone was a fan of Gustasfsson’s style.

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Several different times the Swedish warrior would dodge heavy leather, duck out to the side, then sprint around the octagon and back to the center of the cage. Many people, including middleweight champion Michael Bisping and lightweight legend Gilbert Melendez, were outraged with Gustasfsson’s willingness to turn tail and run.

It’s totally understandable how this could be frowned upon, particularly when you consider that Gustafsson could have turned his sprinting into legitimate counter opportunities.

But you know what, I didn’t mind the tactic one bit and here’s why.

Alexander Gustafsson has been in a few wars already in the cage. Taking punishment shouldn’t be par for the course of being a warrior. Yes, perhaps he could have weaved, pivoted out and landed the same beautiful fight ending combination he showed off in the fifth round. But maybe he could have pivoted out and come face to face with a Teixeira left hook and see his title hopes vanish in an instant. The art of fighting isn’t about how much damage you can take and throw back (though that is a great Rocky quote). Nope. It’s about dishing out the punishment and avoiding punishment at all costs.

To some of you, simply saying that may sound like a cop out, but let’s really consider this for a moment. I’ve been punched in the face enough times to realize that staying in the pocket and brawling isn’t my cup of tea. No one goes into a fight just for the hell of it. You go in to win it and that means not getting your head knocked loose from your body. Alexander Gustafsson took the path of least resistance and at the end of the day secured a big win.

As for the actual fight itself, Alexander Gustafsson showed much improvement in his striking game. Not only did he land his jab on numerous occasion, he also seems to have become proficient in setting up elbow strikes as well.

Gustafsson also showed off a few karate based attacks with a spinning back kick, a blitz, and even fighting from both orthodox and southpaw stances.

By the end of the fight, Glover Teixeira had no clue what his opponent would do next, yet he valiantly hung in there. But despite his heart, we saw no real versatility from Teixeira. Barely any kicks, not enough feints, and a willingness to throw all his punches to the head rather than varying the levels of his attacks.

When all was said and done, it was Gustafsson’s uppercuts that won the day as he finished with a flurry. The work he was doing with his lead hand throughout the bout made it easy for him to gauge the range for his uppercuts of death followed by the overhand right of doom that closed the show.

While the haters and uninitiated will talk crap about Gustafsson and even this very article, “The Mauler” will be collecting checks and readying himself for another crack at the UFC light heavyweight belt. Let’s just appreciate the fact that Alexander Gustafsson figured out a way to beat the opposition without taking punishment in return and adding to his highlight reel. But though he may have had success getting away with the sprinting in this fight, it may not work against a man like Jon Jones you isn’t shy about throwing kicks.

Is Alexander Gustafsson the best striker at light heavyweight?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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UFC Fight Night 109 Analysis: Alexander Gustafsson Battles Glover Teixeira On Home Turf

I’ve been gone for a minute but I’m back now and I’m ready to dig deep into one of the more anticipated fights of the year. Alexander Gustafsson battles Glover Teixeira right in his backyard, Stockholm, Sweden. While both men have been on the cusp of winning UFC gold, both are still very dangerous fighters with interesting tools in their arsenal. Both are strikers with more than enough capability to switch things up and fight in all different phases of the game. But which one has what it takes to get the W this weekend?

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Like his current foe, Alexander Gustafsson has only lost to the best of the best of the division. Two close battles and a poor performance against Anthony Johnson have been the only losses to sully his record in the last few years and while you would think it would deter Swedish mixed martial artist from taking a step back, he has instead ramped things up. Alexander Gustafsson looks like a man on a mission and seems poised to put on the performance of his career against Teixeira. While he may be a striker at heart, in recent years we’ve seen Gustafsson turn into an all around mixed martial artist complete with takedowns.

Gustafsson is tenacious with his wrestling. Once he decides he wants to put you down and he’s in on your hips, you can rest assured that his man is going for a ride. But nonetheless, it’s his striking that’s going to do a great deal of the work in this fight as always. He has slick movement, an educated jab, and a variety of kicking techniques in his arsenal. The front kick and knees will be his best friends in this fight and should be used, to maintain his distance as well as his jab. Once he senses Teixeira wants to rush into the pocket for a left hook or takedown, uppercuts will likely go flying towards his foe’s chin to put the lights out or at least deter a follow up.

Glover Teixeira like Gustafsson before him felt the wrath of Anthony Johnson’s power last August, suffering a devastating knockout in the process. That said, Teixeira has since come back with a victory over tough prospect Jared Cannonier at UFC 208 this past February. While he has been getting the job done with his fists as of late, Teixeira’s last bout once again showcased his underrated grappling attack. He is proficient at securing a single leg and transitioning to a double leg takedown if his first attempt is stuffed. Once on the ground, Teixeira will either land ground and pound or search for a submission, most often a guillotine choke.

But just like his opponent, Glover Teixeira is a striker at heart and as such he plays aggressive counter striker looking for his opportunity to catch an opponent with crushing punches. He gets in his opponent’s faces, forces them to commit, then slips their punches with bobbing and weaving head movement. Once he slips past their strikes Teixeira returns fire with a left or right hook to either the body or the head. If he can pressure Gustafsson against the cage then you can bet that some helacious hooks will be coming his way.

This could decide the next challenger for the UFC light heavyweight title. Will Alexander Gustafsson get another crack? Can Glover Teixeira prove he still has something left kin the tank?

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UFC 210: Anthony Johnson Has A Chance To Get Sweet Revenge Against Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier makes his return to the octagon at UFC 210 against a pretty familiar face. Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson is no stranger to the UFC champion which means this rematch can take on a very interesting pace. It’s always interesting to see how two fighters have evolved since fighting once before. It’s a tough match to call with a number of different variables to keep in mind. Will it be the suffocating wrestling and grittiness of the champion or the powerful strikes of the challenger? Let’s analyze this ish.

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Now, Anthony Johnson did get off some good strikes against Cormier in their first bout. Johnson hits pretty damn hard so Cormier adopted a very controlled and balanced strategy. It turns out all that was good for was prolonging the inevitable ‘Rumble’ rush that saw Johnson land a clubbing overhand right that floored Cormier. The problem for Johnson was that Cormier recovered. Things devolved into a dog fight with plenty of clinching and wrestling and eventually Johnson fell prey to a rear naked choke.

There’s no shame in Johnson’s game however. He still has power in his punches and kicks and he was able to land some nice strikes on Cormier’s chin. The problem with ‘Rumble’ is that he’s always felt comfortable at closing the show early with one powerful strike, that and his overly aggressive forward pressure. What he’ll need to do differently in this match is pace himself. He should be no means be lathargic with his pacing as the champ will pressure in and use it to his advantage. Instead, Johnson should look to flick a jab or two into Cormier’s face, occasionally throwing his right sparingly. The idea is to get Cormier to duck in for a takedown where a powerful uppercut will greet him from a powerful Johnson. If he does get his man hurt, the challenger should definitely pick his shots. He has the power so it makes no sense to dive in with a barrage of punches if you’re not absolutely sure you’re going to close the show.

On the flip side, Daniel Cormier should look to push for a fast start. While Johnson is in some good shape, he can wilt if the pressure is poured on and that’s exactly what Cormier should keep in mind. The first time the champion was cautious of Johnson’s power and because of that we didn’t see him open up with his gritty clinch game and dirty boxing until he secured a takedown first.

Wrestling is Cormier’s comfort zone, but he can’t rely totally on that. He should engage Johnson on the feet even despite the threat of the knock out. But he can’t be stupid and rush Johnson out of the gate. It has to be a measured approach. He has to be either all the way in or all the way out. Hanging out in the middle distance with Johnson could spell doom for the champion. Instead he should employ his usual jab, mix in a front or low kick and pounce. Johnson will likely be looking to defend takedowns with lateral movement and a sprawl. Kicking low will get Johsnon to stop in place for the slightest moment which will open up the opportunity for Cormier to close the distance with a punch and transition to either the clinch for some dirty boxing or a straight wrasslin’ fest.

Ultimately, like I believe with most fights, it comes down to who can control the distance better than their opponent. If Cormier can close distance and avoid the bombs from bashing in his head, he will ultimately control the clinch positions and ultimately the fight. If Johnson can keep Cormier guessing and force the champion to move backwards or forwards based on his own pace, it’s likely that ‘Rumble’ will secure a devastating KO.

Will we see a new champion at UFC 210 or will the champion stand his ground?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

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