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Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier: What Went Wrong for the Challenger at UFC 182

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.

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Jon Jones Open to Fight Against Cain Velasquez If “It’s for the Right Purse”

Jon Jones continues to cement himself as the greatest light heavyweight in the world. His UFC 182 performance against Daniel Cormier was just the next step in his legacy as one of the greatest of all time.

What is on the horizon? If the UFC ponies up,…

What is on the horizon? If the UFC ponies up, Jones is open to a superfight with heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.

This is both a great idea and a terrible idea.

On one hand, this fight will do massive business. Taking two top-tier fighters is always a good thing, but add in their status in this sport, and it creates something special. The potential business this could bring the UFC is likely even greater than what Jones-Cormier did Saturday night.

Jones will still have physical advantages, and that is his greatest asset. He has all the skill to compete with most of the elite at heavyweight. He is just that good.

But why is this a terrible idea?

Velasquez isn’t most of the heavyweight division. He is a different animal.

Ask Brock Lesnar. Ask Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. Ask Junior Dos Santos.

Velasquez’s style is a good way for Jones to get mauled in the cage. Jones needs time to acclimate himself to the heavyweight division before taking on the likes of Velasquez. We have seen what the heavyweight champion can do, and it’s violent. Subjecting Jones to that would not be good in the long term.

This isn’t Anderson Silva moving up in weight against middling fighters. This isn’t like a potential fight between Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis. It’s different. It’s heavyweight.

Velasquez is still out with an injury, and when he returns, he will take on Fabricio Werdum. If Velasquez wins, he is without a challenger. If Jones defeats the winner of Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Johnson, he will be without a top contender as well. On the timeline of the UFC, this potential fight could line itself up for a year-end fight card.

It would make business sense.

If Jones truly wants to test himself and establish himself as the greatest of all time, this is the man to do it against. It is a phenomenally tall order, but it’s the fight that would put him as the greatest of all time in this young sport. It would also line his pockets with green while the light heavyweight division gets its next contender.

Without credible challengers, the money Jones can make at 205 is minuscule compared to what he could do against Velasquez. It also has the benefit of keeping Cormier in the mix as the captain of AKA and Velasquez’s training partner. The heat only helps. Perhaps that is why Jones has an eye on the possibility.

It makes sense for Jones’ bank account, but for his fighting career, it just should not happen right now. As these two dominant figures in the sport go through 2015, we will all have to keep an ear to the ground for anymore rumblings of this fight.

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Jon Jones Should Not Feel Bad for Being ‘Classless’ in Win over Cormier

On Saturday night, Jon Jones used UFC 182 to stake a claim that he may be one of the best athletes to ever compete in mixed martial arts. He took a victory over Daniel Cormier in the main event, as the judges awarded him four of the five rounds.
One of…

One of the interesting talking points coming out of the bout was Jones’ own words where he labeled himself “classless” during the post-fight interview. However, after looking at his place in the sport, the perception of the fans and its impact on his career, Jones should not apologize for his actions in any form.

Immediately after the final buzzer at UFC 182, Jones made a derogatory hand gesture toward Cormier that earned the boos of the fans watching.

“I’m sorry for being classless,” Jones said to Joe Rogan during the post-fight interview. “I do not like DC, that is why I’m being this way.”

It looked as though the bad blood between Jones and Cormier was going to continue after the bell, as both men looked like they were going to throw punches after the last round, which led to Jones making the motion.

“After the bell rang, he snuck in a few punches.” Jones mentioned during the post-fight press conference, courtesy of MMA Fighting. “I don’t think any of them hit me. I think he almost hit Herb Dean. That’s why I gave him the ‘suck it’ sign, because he tried to hit me after the bell.”

This situation will not help Jones’ perception with the fans. He has long been the topic of fan hatred since winning the belt back in 2011. Everything from his legal issues to his usage of social media and frequent religious quoting has earned the ire of MMA fans. He should expect to receive more angry tweets after his antics on Saturday.

Nevertheless, he should not apologize for his actions on Saturday.

Mixed martial arts has had its fair share of contrived rivalries between top athletes. After weeks to months of promotion, fighters will often leave their differences in the cage and get over their anger toward each other. The feud between Jones and Rashad Evans stands as an example in which both men seemed to hate each other before the fight but have gotten over their animosity.

Jones confirmed as much during an interview with Ariel Helwani on Fox Sports. “I saw Rashad, and I honestly missed him. It was weird. I just missed him. The guy was definitely like a role model in a way when I first started off, and I’ll always remember looking up to him. Even though we fought, it is so long in the past now, and I legitimately missed him.”

Do not expect Jones to make such a statement about Daniel Cormier, and that will benefit Jones’ career in the long run. The rivalry between Cormier and Jones had years of buildup and multiple instances of outright disrespect by both men. When emotions get to such a point, it is difficult to turn those feelings off, even after the battle being finished.

Jones’ worth to the organization has the potential to flourish by his playing up those emotions and the anger that comes from the fans for his success.

He has not always been a major pay-per-view draw, but UFC 182 is being perceived as a success for the promotion. Before the event, UFC President Dana White predicted the show would hit 750,000 buys, via MMA Fighting. Yet, during the post-fight press conference, he said the fight did “more than 750 buys” when asked about buyrate expectations, per MMA Fighting.

This may mean that a hated Jones against a well-liked foil will mean bigger paydays for the champion and promotion as a whole. Alexander Gustafsson stands as a potential fighter who would play that role well if he can get by Anthony Johnson, which would set up a rematch to their 2013 spectacle.

Gustafsson is a fan favorite, and if Jones continues down this path of being hated by the fans, the promotion of this bout could lead to similar, big-night events for the UFC. That result would benefit both the promotion and the fighter.

The first fight between Jones and Gustafsson was already enough to make a potential rematch worth watching. Building Jon up as the willing villain with Gustafsson as the opposing hero would add even more strength to the pre-fight hype.

Jones did not win over any fans in MMA with his performance against Cormier. He is at a “point of no return” when it comes to being considered a heel within the sport. He should not apologize for being himself and embrace this position for the long term.

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Jones vs. Cormier: Full Results and Top Moments from Fight Card

Jon Jones is the best fighter in the history of mixed martial arts. The people who dislike him will disagree, but that doesn’t make the statement any less true. At first glance, Jones’ unanimous-decision win over Daniel Cormier on Saturday in Las Vegas…

With further examination and perspective, the win can be fully appreciated.

Not only did Jones beat an excellent fighter and hand him his first loss, but he beat Cormier at his own game and did something to him that had never been done before.

When Jones secured the first-ever successful takedown against Cormier in the first round, it was an eye-popping moment. Not only did he complete the takedown, but he actually made it look kind of easy.

Even more impressive was Jones’ two takedowns of Cormier in the fourth round. It seemed as if that was the point when Bones broke his rival’s will. Cormier looked tired and almost resigned to accept defeat.

Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter offered insult to Cormier‘s injury:

For Jones to produce such a sparkling performance in such an emotional fight shows a portion of his greatness. Love him or hate him, if you’re an MMA fan, you should appreciate the fact that you get to watch the GOAT perform in his prime.

Here’s a look at every result from the night’s action. Just beneath the table is a breakdown of two other memorable moments from UFC 182.

Cody Garbrandt‘s Last-Second Stoppage

By my estimation, Marcus Brimage was headed for a decision victory over Cody Garbrandt before he got too adventurous in the final 30 seconds of the third round.

Garbrandt caught Brimage with a hard right hand that sent the Bama Beast to the mat. Brimage scrambled to his feet, but he looked out of it. Garbrandt kept the pressure on and ultimately forced referee Herb Dean to stop the fight with just 10 seconds left.

UFC Insiders has a look at the punch that started the problems for Brimage:

You can understand Brimage‘s aggression to a point because the fight was fairly close. That said, he had been rocked earlier by a hard shot from Garbrandt. Brimage stayed in the pocket too long, took too many chances and paid the price.

Paul Felder‘s Spin to Win

For only the third time in UFC history, per Michael Carroll of FightMetric, a fighter finished his opponent with a spinning backfist.

Paul Felder decimated Danny “Last Call” Castillo in the second round with the whirling strike. Here’s a look at the shot, per Vicio MMA:

The shot didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. Felder had been dismantling Castillo for the entire first round and all of the second before he dropped him.

It was only the second fight of Felder‘s UFC career, but on the strength of his performance on Saturday night, he might be one of the best newcomers in the promotion.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

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Jones vs. Cormier: Video Highlights from UFC 182 Main Event

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.

Statistics via UFC.com.

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UFC 182: Full Results and Biggest Winners from Jones vs. Cormier Card

After months and months of buildup, UFC 182 finally transpired on Saturday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with a familiar sight: Jon Jones having his hand raised with Bruce Buffer screaming, “…and still!”
The champion walked away w…

The champion walked away with the belt once again via unanimous decision. The bout was satisfying. The questions that lingered about the matchup were answered over the course of the five-round bout. Jones proved that Cormier’s wrestling was no match for his well-rounded game.

The challenger was able to muster one good round against Jones, but he simply didn’t have enough to best the champion—even at Cormier’s own game.

But the championship bout wasn’t the only affair that took place in Vegas. Here’s a look at the complete results from the night and a closer look at some of the biggest winners.

UFC 182 Main Card on Pay-Per-View

Jon Jones def. Daniel Cormier, unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Donald Cerrone def. Myles Jury, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Brad Tavares def. Nate Marquardt, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Kyoji Horiguchi def. Louis Gaudinot, unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Hector Lombard def. Josh Burkman, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Prelims on Fox Sports 1

Paul Felder def. Danny Castillo, knockout (Round 2, 2:09)
Cody Garbrandt def. Marcus Brimage, TKO (Round 3, 4:50)
Shawn Jordan def. Jared Cannonier, knockout (Round 1, 2:57)
Evan Dunham def. Rodrigo Damm, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Prelims on UFC Fight Pass

Omari Akhmedov def. Mats Nilsson, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Marion Reneau def. Alexis Dufresne, unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)

Biggest Winners

The Prelim Finishers: Shawn Jordan, Cody Garbrandt and Paul Felder

If you’re a fan who hates when judges get involved, UFC 182 was not the card for you. It was relatively low on stoppages, as just three fighters were able to finish their opponent.

But those who did made a statement.

Shawn Jordan did what he’s known to do—finish fights with his brutal knockout power. The former LSU fullback stymied UFC newcomer Jared Cannonier in the first round. It’s the kind of performance one would expect from a slugger like Jordan, but it does put him on a two-fight win streak.

That’s good news for a guy who was coming off back-to-back first-round knockout losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Matt Mitrione.

Cody Garbrandt was much more successful than Cannonier in his UFC debut. The Team Alpha Male fighter and Ohio native outstruck Marcus Brimage for the vast majority of the three-round bout. He then proceeded to take out the UFC veteran with a barrage of hooks late in the third round.

The impressive debut caused several pundits to stand up and take notice. Josh Gross of Sherdog.com was among those who recognized his smooth transition to the next level:

Paul Felder had the opportunity to close out the prelims and didn’t waste it. He put on a show against Danny Castillo that ultimately ended with a spinning backfist knockout that is the early front-runner for Knockout of the Year, per MMAFighting:

The win extended Felder’s MMA record to 9-0. With a highlight like that on his resume, The Irish Dragon is definitely a fighter to keep an eye on.

The Co-Main Event Winner: Donald Cerrone

Donald Cerrone came into his fight with a bit of a chip on his shoulder for Myles Jury. The end result was not good for the up-and-comer.

The Cowboy outclassed Jury in every phase of the game throughout the three-round bout. The Greg Jackson-trained fighter fully avenged his teammate Diego Sanchez’s loss to Jury in convincing fashion. And he didn’t seem to pick up any respect for the 26-year-old along the way, either.

He was critical of the way Jury fought even after the bout. Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports passed along Cerrone’s thoughts:

Cerrone had an answer for everything Jury brought to the table. When Jury took him down, Cowboy’s jiu-jitsu shined through. Jury spent much of the first round defending chokes.

A more traditional kickboxing match? Cerrone had that covered too. He landed more significant strikes than his opponent in every round, according to FightMetric.

Ultimately, this win serves to further prove that Cerrone is among the best in his division. It also gets him that much closer to an eventual rematch with lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.

The Reigning Light Heavyweight Champion: Jon Jones

Love him or hate him, Jones once again showed why he’s arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history at the age of 27.

Once again he took on a challenger whose list of accolades was longer than his massive 84.5-inch reach. Once again he made that challenger look out of his league.

Cormier was successful against the champion at times. His best efforts took place in Round 2, when he was able to utilize his dirty boxing in close quarters and win a round in the eyes of the judges.

However, winning one round isn’t enough against Bones. Eventually, the champion took over the bout, earning a one-sided decision. The result cast doubt on just how compelling an eventual rematch could be.

What’s more, the champion beat Cormier at his own game. Taking on an Olympic wrestler, Jones earned the advantage in takedowns (3-1, per FightMetric), fought nearly the entire fight in close quarters and wore out the challenger over the long haul.

There are a few more intriguing fights at light heavyweight for the champion. Most notably, a rematch with Alexander Gustafsson could be on the horizon. The Swede officially gets his shot if he gets past Anthony Johnson on Jan. 24, according to Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie.

Gustafsson even took to social media to assess Jones’ performance:

So once again Jones proved his detractors wrong. He took another challenger, beat him at his own game and now awaits the next one. Chances are, we’ll all tune in again to see if the king can ever be dethroned.

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