Tag: UFC 182

UFC 182 Live Streaming: How to Watch Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier

At UFC 182, heated rivals Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will clash inside the Octagon.
With seven consecutive title defenses, Jones is closing in on another level of greatness. Beating Cormier on Saturday would put the light heavyweight champion within …

At UFC 182, heated rivals Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will clash inside the Octagon.

With seven consecutive title defenses, Jones is closing in on another level of greatness. Beating Cormier on Saturday would put the light heavyweight champion within one title defense of Georges St-Pierre‘s historic welterweight title run and within two title defenses of Anderson Silva‘s UFC record reign.

Despite Jones’ dominance, Cormier has brought intrigue in the light heavyweight division to its highest point in recent memory. The undefeated Olympic wrestler is 35 years old, but he’s unbeaten in MMA and has made it look easy against some of the best in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions.

Cormier will also likely be the best wrestler Jones has ever met in an MMA bout. With four takedowns against Josh Barnett, three against Roy Nelson and another three against Dan Henderson, Cormier can take anybody in the world to the canvas.

Having only allowed one takedown in his MMA career, Jones is not familiar with being underneath opponents. So, there is a real possibility that we could see the 205-pound king in uncharted territory when he meets Cormier on January 3 in Las Vegas.

This is a highly anticipated matchup that no MMA fan will want to miss. Thus, here is a look at the complete fight card and streaming information for how to watch the event from start to finish. 

 

UFC 182 Fight Card

Main Card

Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier

Donald Cerrone vs. Myles Jury

Brad Tavares vs. Nate Marquardt

Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Louis Gaudinot

Hector Lombard vs. Josh Burkman

 

Fox Sports 1 Prelims

Danny Castillo vs. Paul Felder

Marcus Brimage vs. Cody Garbrandt

Shawn Jordan vs. Jared Cannonier

Evan Dunham vs. Rodrigo Damm

 

UFC Fight Pass Prelims

Omari Akhmedov vs. Mats Nilsson

Alexis Dufresne vs. Marion Reneau

 

UFC 182 Streaming Information

Main Card

In addition to the main event featuring Jones and Cormier, Donald Cerrone will also appear on the UFC 182 main card. With five straight wins, Cowboy will look to keep on rolling while halting the meteoric rise of The Ultimate Fighter veteran Myles Jury, who has gone undefeated in six official UFC bouts.

Additionally, Hector Lombard and Josh Burkman will be looking to take a big step toward welterweight title contention. It will be Burkman‘s first UFC bout since October 2008, but he has been making noise under the WSOF banner, where he defeated former UFC title challenger Jon Fitch.

The UFC 182 main card will be available via pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET in the United States. Contact your cable provider for ordering information or watch via UFC.TV. The event can also be ordered through the above YouTube player.

 

Fox Sports 1 Prelims

While the UFC 182 prelims don’t feature any ranked contenders, some recognizable names will appear on Fox Sports 1 before the pay-per-view portion of the card.

Danny Castillo, Marcus Brimage, Shawn Jordan and Evan Dunham have all been within striking distance of title contention in their respective divisions. However, at UFC 182, they will all be serving as gatekeepers against up-and-comers.

Naturally, the Fox Sports 1 prelims will be available on Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET. Click here to find out what channel you can find Fox Sports 1 on. In certain areas, the Fox Sports 1 prelims will also be available on UFC.TV.

 

UFC Fight Pass Prelims

A women’s bantamweight bout between Alexis Dufresne and Marion Reneau will kick off UFC 182. Then, Omari Akhmedov and Mats Nilsson will lead the fight card into the Fox Sports 1 prelims.

These two unheralded matchups can be viewed on UFC Fight Pass at 7 p.m. ET.

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UFC 182 Start Time: Full Card, TV Info, Live Stream and Predictions

UFC is kicking off 2015 in style with the long-delayed and much-anticipated light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Jones and Cormier were originally scheduled to fight in September, b…

UFC is kicking off 2015 in style with the long-delayed and much-anticipated light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Jones and Cormier were originally scheduled to fight in September, but the champion was forced to pull out of the bout with a knee injury that required surgery. Even though that did stall some of the momentum, these two have built such an explosive rivalry leading up to the fight that it’s still one of the biggest matches of the year.

While the entire event is built around the main event, UFC has stacked the card to make sure everyone remembers the first event of the new year. Here’s everything you need to know before the show begins tonight. 

 

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas

When: Saturday, January 3

Start Time: UFC Fight Pass prelims start at 7 p.m. ET; Fox Sports 1 preliminary card starts at 8 p.m. ET; main pay-per-view card starts at 10 p.m. ET

Watch: Pay-per-view

Live Stream: UFC.TV; Fox Sports Go (preliminary card)

 

Main Event Analysis

As you can see from the video embedded above, there is no love between Jones and Cormier. Even though that happened prior to their originally scheduled bout last year, the lead-up to the match hasn’t gotten much friendlier. 

Cormier was happy to have more time to prepare for his first championship fight in UFC, telling Steven Marrocco of MMAJunkie.com in August that his knee was also in bad shape before Jones had to withdraw:

I would be outside of myself to not say I went into this fight knowing my knee was pretty jacked up, and I was going to fight through it to get a title.

…

I’ll get a full training camp now. When I heard Jon was hurt, now him and (Alexander) Gustafssson are on the same schedule in order to be healthy. So my first question was, ‘I don’t have to go behind Gustafsson again now, right?’ And I was assured that it’s going to be me in January. He’s not going to take my place again.

However, according to a report by Kevin Nicholson of MMAInjury.com, Cormier‘s knee problem will present a problem because of what Jones likes to do:

As the mammoth fight between Cormier and Jon Jones approaches, there is one concern that I have for Cormier– Jones’ push kick (aka the oblique kick.)

…

Therein lies the danger for Cormier’s damaged right knee. Or his healthy left knee for that matter. If Cormier eats enough of these kicks to his left knee, causing him to switch out of his orthodox stance and expose his right knee, the consequences could be severe.

Only Cormier knows the full extent of the damage to his knee, but Jones does like to attack the legs to take away his opponent’s mobility. That sets up the rest of his offense later in the fight. 

There’s also the question of mind games being played, mostly by the champion. 

While Cormier has largely kept things civil, Jones has gone out of his way to criticize the challenger any chance he gets. The UFC light heavyweight champion poked fun at his opponent’s body type in a conference call, via Marrocco:

I would [sic] say there’s anything I necessarily like about him. I do respect that he’s able to use his frame so successfully, being a short guy and a thicker guy. When you look at him, his body type doesn’t scream athlete, but he’s been able to do some amazing things, both in the sport of wrestling and his MMA career.

That’s about as backhanded a compliment as Jones can give Cormier, but the champion has to be prepared for what his opponent can do. 

Cormier isn’t a traditional light heavyweight. He fought as a heavyweight with Strikeforce and in his first two UFC fights, so he understands how to work against bigger and stronger opponents than Jones. He’s also one of the best pure wrestlers in the sport, boasting a perfect takedown defense and strong strike defense percentage (70), via UFC.com. 

Jones is able to overwhelm his opponents because of his long limbs and ability to adapt styles, but Cormier is the best wrestler he’s ever gone up against. Even with a 21-1 record, the champion has had problems in recent fights against Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira despite being awarded unanimous-decision wins. 

Cormier isn’t going to be intimidated or out of his element against Jones. Unfortunately, it’s hard to bet against the champion in this spot until someone is able to stop him. No one on the roster presents a bigger threat than Cormier, but Jones is going to be too much over five rounds and will earn a victory from the judges. 

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UFC 182 Jones vs. Cormier: Round-by-Round Recap and Analysis

Ladies and gentlemen, UFC 182 is finally here. At long last, we get to witness the amazing grudge match that is light heavyweight champion (and possible greatest fighter of all time) Jon Jones taking on an elite talent in Daniel Cormier. 
The figh…

Ladies and gentlemen, UFC 182 is finally here. At long last, we get to witness the amazing grudge match that is light heavyweight champion (and possible greatest fighter of all time) Jon Jones taking on an elite talent in Daniel Cormier. 

The fight is exciting on multiple levels, and no longer must we wait!

Some say that Jones’ well-rounded skill set, which includes a dynamic, rangy striking game and near-impregnable takedown defense, will be too much for Cormier. Others say that Cormier‘s success against fighters far larger than Jones, achieved through timing-focused punches and world-class wrestling, sets him up for victory.

Either way, the talk is almost over and the fighting begins soon. Circle back here tonight for Bleacher Report’s round-by-round recap and analysis of UFC 182’s main event.

Begin Slideshow

Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier: Latest Twitter Hype Before UFC 182

The light heavyweight bout between Jon “Bones” Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 is arguably the most highly anticipated fight ever, and there has been no shortage of hype leading up to it.
MMA fans have had an extra long wait for this contest since …

The light heavyweight bout between Jon “Bones” Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 is arguably the most highly anticipated fight ever, and there has been no shortage of hype leading up to it.

MMA fans have had an extra long wait for this contest since Jones was forced to pull out of the original fight at UFC 178. That has only served to build even more excitement, though, and things are finally set to come to a head Saturday in Las Vegas.

The importance of this fight is lost on no one, but it becomes even clearer when looking at the combatants’ respective resumes, as provided by Bleacher Report MMA:

In addition to that, Jones and Cormier simply don’t like each other. They have made disparaging remarks and even nearly come to blows, which is why so many fans can’t wait to see what happens when they finally get their hands on one another.

As seen in this photo at UFC 182 media day, there is no love lost between two of the best fighters the sport has to offer:

Jones and Cormier dislike each other so much, in fact, that they even argued during the UFC 182 fighter meeting, courtesy of UFC president Dana White Instagram account (Some language NSFW):

It is blatantly obvious that neither Jones nor Cormier are afraid to talk trash to each other, but they have both made their feelings known in the media as well.

Jones is widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, but he’ll be facing an opponent who never lost. Cormier has deservedly received plenty of praise, however, Jones intends to make him seem ordinary, according to UFC’s official Twitter account:

Cormier clearly doesn’t like Jones, but he acknowledged that both he and his opponent are winners, and neither of them intend to go down at UFC 182:

At the same time, though, DC made it clear that Jones’ usual tactics of trying to get in the his opponent’s head won’t work on him:

From a technical perspective, this fight is quite appealing due to the fact that Jones and Cormier have very different styles. Jones is an excellent striker with some submission chops as well, while Cormier is a mat mauler who draws on his amateur wrestling experience.

Despite the fact that most assume Cormier has a significant advantage when he and his opponent are grounded, Jones wants to prove that he can excel in that area as well, per Jon Anik of Fox Sports 1:

Jones is favored to defeat Cormier, according to OddsShark, but this has the feeling of a bout that could truly go either way.

With that said, James Lynch of Sportsnet leans toward Jones due to the fact that he has a more versatile skill set than his undefeated counterpart:

Regardless of who ultimately wins the fight, though, there is no doubt that this rivalry has been great for the sport. Jones and Cormier are both elite competitors, and they have done a great job of generating interest in UFC 182.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden believes that Jones vs. Cormier is a fight that every true MMA fan absolutely must watch:

Similarly, Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com feels as though this particular contest is a perfect example of why UFC has become so popular over the years:

Jones and Cormier have a lot to live up to based on the lofty expectations for their clash, but both fighters always seem to be up to the challenge.

They have an opportunity to elevate their company and their sport to another level if they perform to their potential, and every indication is that they will do precisely that.

 

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

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UFC 182: Fight Card Start Time and Final Jones vs. Cormier Predictions

The time for talking and pre-fight hype has finally passed. Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will finally fight for the UFC light heavyweight title on pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. The question is, what on earth is goin…

The time for talking and pre-fight hype has finally passed. Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will finally fight for the UFC light heavyweight title on pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. 

The question is, what on earth is going to happen?

It’s a question that makes this fight so appealing because one of two things will happen. We’ll either see a longtime champion and pound-for-pound kingpin’s mortality put on display, or we’ll see that champion take another step toward being the unequivocal greatest fighter of all time. 

There’s no in-between. 

Here’s a look at all the information you’ll need to catch the bout and a few final predictions for the highly anticipated main event:

When: Saturday, Jan. 3

Start Time: Fight Pass Prelims at 7 p.m. ET (subscription required); Fox Sports 1 Prelims at 8 p.m. ET; Main Card pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

Live Stream: UFC.tv

 

Cormier Will Win Round 1

Daniel Cormier has never lost a round in his MMA career. That won’t change in the opening frame in his fight with Jones. 

For all the immense talents that Jones has in his arsenal, he’s never been the type of fighter to overwhelm his opponent in the first round. He’s been outpaced in the opening round by Alexander Gustafsson and even Glover Teixiera in his last two bouts, according to FightMetric.

Just because he was outpaced (as measured by significant strikes attempted) doesn’t mean he lost those rounds. Effective aggression is more important than pure volume, but Cormier has shown in the past that he not only sets a high pace in the first round, but he can cause some damage while he’s at it. 

Jones is more apt to break down his opponents over the course of a fight, not come out guns a-blazing to make a statement. That approach will likely cost him the opening round. 

 

Cormier Will Earn at Least One Takedown

This fight is being hyped because of the potential for Cormier to push Jones in ways he’s never been pushed before. In one literal sense that’s true. We haven’t seen Jones have to fight off of his back much in his career. 

He was taken down by Gustafsson in the opening round of their UFC 165 classic and pulled guard late in a bout against Rashad Evans. Those are the only two times we’ve seen the champion work from the bottom. 

If Jones’ pre-fight talk and penchant for challenging opposition at their game is to believed, Jones doesn’t fear Cormier getting him to the mat. MMAWeekly passed along the champion’s thoughts:

I love the fact that people assume that if Daniel takes me down he wins the fight. I love how people assume that he needs to get close to me and then I’m suddenly at some type of a disadvantage. Honestly man, I’m so secure in my abilities as a fighter; in the clinch, dirty-boxing, my jiu-jitsu, my top game, my bottom game, about my wrestling.

Against a shorter, stockier opponent, there’s no denying that Jones’ safest path to victory would be to maintain his striking distance and pick Cormier apart. Jones isn’t always interested in safe, though. He wants to challenge himself. 

Mixing it up with Cormier will do just that. However, it’ll also put him in at least one bad position. The Olympic wrestling background of DC may seem overplayed, but it’s a very real threat to Jones. He may not ragdoll him around as easily as he did Dan Henderson and Patrick Cummins at 205, but he’s good enough to become the second man to take down Bones. 

 

Jones Will Ultimately Have His Hand Raised

It won’t be easy. Cormier is advertised as a challenger. Breaking down this bout, Cormier has tools that no challenger before him possessed. He’s knocked out heavyweights, and his ability to throw opponents around demonstrates strength that Jones hasn’t seen. 

However, we haven’t seen Cormier dominate top-shelf talent in the light heavyweight division like Jones. 

In a fight where there are few dominant edges, Jones has two that could ultimately be the deciding factor—experience and length. Jones will enjoy a 12-inch reach advantage against Cormier. For all of the challenger’s tools, it’s difficult to consistently overcome that in a five-round fight. 

The second advantage is that Jones has been here before. He’s gone all five-rounds in title fights three times as opposed to Cormier’s one time in the heavyweight division. But even more importantly, he’s shown an ability to keep his composure in an emotionally charged fight. 

The bad blood between Jones and former teammate Rashad Evans was well-documented, but it didn’t keep Bones from methodically beating him over five rounds. 

Looking at Cormier pacing around at the weigh-ins, it’s a legitimate concern as to weather DC can successfully compartmentalize his disdain for the champion and fight with the composure it takes to win a title. Should he experience an adrenaline dump after a strong first round, the champion will slowly take advantage and own the later rounds. 

As much intrigue as a Cormier win would provide for fans and the division going forward, there are more ways for Jones to win. That makes him the pick by unanimous decision in what should be a memorable fight. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 182 Fight Card: Best DraftKings Picks from Jones vs. Cormier Card

Mixed martial arts is new to the DraftKings scene, but it won’t take long for fans to catch on to the newest fantasy sports twist. UFC 182 on Saturday from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is a perfect event to push the fusion of MMA and the one-night fantas…

Mixed martial arts is new to the DraftKings scene, but it won’t take long for fans to catch on to the newest fantasy sports twist. UFC 182 on Saturday from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is a perfect event to push the fusion of MMA and the one-night fantasy sports experience.

Jon “Bones” Jones will defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Daniel Cormier. By most accounts, these two hate each other. Quite obviously, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden and Jeremy Botter wouldn’t have it any other way.

Whether you’re a casual fan or a diehard who has been down since UFC 1, the Jones-Cormier saga has made for entertaining television. It will all come to a head on Saturday night, and DraftKings might allow you a way to make a few coins off the main event and/or a mixture of the other scraps on tap.

Just like in DK football, basketball and hockey games, the athletes from a night of action are appointed a salary. That salary is based on the projected performance of each fighter.

The higher the probability for success, the more the fighter will cost players to spend through their salary cap. Instead of counting points and yardage, as is the case in football and basketball leagues, significant strikes, takedowns and other statistics are what generate fantasy points in the MMA version of the contests.

For those unaware, here’s how the points break down, per DraftKings.com:

 

Moves Scoring

  • Significant Strikes: +0.5 PTS
  • Advance: +1 PT
  • Takedown: +2 PTS
  • Reversal/Sweep: +2 PTS
  • Knockdown: +3 PTS

 

Fight Conclusion Bonuses

  • 1st Round Win: +100 PTS
  • 2nd Round Win: +70 PTS
  • 3rd Round Win: +50 PTS
  • 4th Round Win: +40 PTS
  • 5th Round Win: +40 PTS
  • Decision Win: +25 PTS
  • Scoring Notes

    • Significant Strikes are any Distance Strike or Clinch/Ground Strikes that are considered “Power Strikes” by official scorers.
    • Advances include:
      • To Half Guard
      • To Side Control
      • To Mount
      • To Back Control

With that established, here are my picks to click for Saturday night’s epic event. Just below the table is a look at two fighters I believe will score big.

 

Danny “Last Call” Castillo

I totally believe Jones will beat Daniel Cormier in the main event, but if you asked me which fighter I just had to select from Saturday night’s card, it would be Castillo. This is Last Call’s 20th fight with the UFC, and he’s serious about winning. He tweeted about the milestone on Monday.

The 35-year-old is hungry and desperate for one legitimate run up the lightweight ladder. He needs a win over Paul Felder to move in that direction. Felder is inexperienced, and Castillo has displayed one-punch KO power that will only serve to complement his wrestling skills.

Castillo put Charlie Brenneman down with one shot back in April. I wouldn’t discount the chances he could win in a similar fashion on Saturday. Felder is taking a big step up in competition, and I don’t believe he’s ready.

Even if Castillo doesn’t win by KO or TKO, his busy style should bring in a good number of fantasy points for significant strikes and takedown attempts.

Per Fight Metric, Castillo lands 2.48 significant strikes per 15 minutes, and he pursues takedowns 3.34 times.

Castillo will prove to be worth the price tag attached to him.

 

Jared Cannonier

To win at DK—especially in MMA—you have to pick the right underdog. Cannonier—who is making his UFC debut— is my choice from Saturday’s crop. He’ll be facing Shawn Jordan in a fight that is there for the taking for Cannonier.

Jordan isn’t much for defense, and he’s been stopped in two of his last three fights. In his UFC career, Jordan has only avoided 48 percent of the strikes aimed his way. Some, such as Adam Martin of MMA Oddsbreaker, think Cannonier is too small to beat Jordan, despite the latter’s recent performances.

At the weigh-in, Cannonier was 235 pounds and Jordan was a hefty 261 pounds, per Aaron Rich of KTSM in El Paso, Texas. The weight disparity will give Cannonier a little boost rather than hinder him.

Jordan will be looking to attack and finish early. If Cannonier looks to counter or is able to get this one into the second round, Jordan will likely be exhausted and Cannonier will take control.

If there was ever a great opponent for a guy fighting in his first UFC bout, it’s this one. Cannonier is undefeated and hungry. For just $8,900, he was screaming: “pick me.” 

If you want to get an edge from an unexpected source, you should tab Cannonier as one of your low-cost selections.

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