Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, lightweight champion? It’s a real possibility, ladies and gentlemen.
According to ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto, UFC President Dana White believes a Cerrone title fight opposite 155-pound champ Rafael dos Anjos is on the horizon:
D…
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, lightweight champion? It’s a real possibility, ladies and gentlemen.
According to ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto, UFC President Dana White believes a Cerrone title fight opposite 155-pound champ Rafael dos Anjos is on the horizon:
Dana White tells me he’s not going to press conference tonight, but DID say Donald Cerrone is the next lightweight title contender.
The news comes as little surprise, frankly. Cerrone effortlessly defeated John Makdessi at UFC 187, picking him apart at range before breaking his jaw with a kick in the second round.
The win over Makdessi extends his already impressive winning streak to eight. Cerrone is on an absolutely stellar run at the moment, with wins over EdsonBarboza, Eddie Alvarez, Myles Jury and Benson Henderson.
That run alone is good enough for a shot at the title, but things have lined up for him perfectly outside the cage as well. His original UFC 187 opponent, KhabibNurmagomedov, is out for the foreseeable future due to a knee injury. Former champ Anthony Pettis, similarly, is shelved for the time being. Nate Diaz, who defeated Cerrone in 2011, is coming off an ugly loss to dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 13.
Cerrone faced dos Anjos once before, back in 2013 at UFC Fight Night 27. At that point, Cerrone was a notoriously slow starter, which allowed the Brazilian to gain an early lead on the judges’ scorecards. Cerrone would come on strong in the final frame but was unable to overcome the early deficit, resulting in a unanimous 29-28 decision loss.
While dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2 is likely to go down, there is no word on when or where it could take place. The UFC is currently booked up for UFC 188 and 189, meaning the bout would most likely come in August at the very earliest. Keep an eye on Bleacher Report for more news on the fight as it becomes available.
Daniel Cormier is your new UFC light heavyweight champion.
Anthony Johnson entered as the No. 1-ranked light heavyweight, and Cormier as the No. 3-ranked in the division. It was a striker vs. grappler matchup for the vacant gold. After Bruce Buffer fin…
Daniel Cormier is your new UFC light heavyweight champion.
Anthony Johnson entered as the No. 1-ranked light heavyweight, and Cormier as the No. 3-ranked in the division. It was a striker vs. grappler matchup for the vacant gold. After Bruce Buffer finished the pomp and circumstance it was time to fight.
Johnson opened the fight with a stunning overhand right hand that stunned Cormier. Johnson tried to pounce, but Cormier was able to survive and get hold of Johnson. Once he had his hands around Rumble, Cormier made him carry all of his weight.
There was not a lot of offense thrown, but Cormier used the position to wear down Johnson while he recovered from the hard punch. He got Johnson on the turf to continue tiring him out. It was a close first round due to Johnson’s early success.
In the second round, DC started to take over.
Johnson was already visibly tiring. Cormier covered up from an early Johnson barrage, and once again put his Greco-Roman wrestling to use. Johnson was wilting under the pressure of Cormier‘s superior grappling. Johnson was sucking wind hard. It was a dominant round that saw Cormier earn a couple of 10-8 rounds on the judge’s scorecards.
When the third round started it was obvious Johnson was done.
Cormier put him back on the canvas, worked from half-guard and slowly worked toward a finish. Finally, Johnson gave up his back, and that allowed Cormier to sink in the rear-naked choke. Johnson had to tap out. Cormier got his hand raised, and gold wrapped around his waist.
The former USA Wrestling standout finally culminated a run up the MMA ladder with UFC gold.
Johnson had his moments, but his cardio failed him under the pressure of Cormier. In the wasteland of 205, Johnson will be in prime position to earn another title shot sooner than later. This will be a valuable learning experience.
UFC 187 crowned a new division leader. Cormier wears the gold that used to be Jon Jones’, and perhaps a rematch is just around the corner. Cormier‘s UFC 187 showing also earned him an extra $50,000 with a performance bonus.
That tells you all you need to know about DC’s championship performance.
UFC 187 saw the legend of Chris Weidman grow. Yes, the legend of Chris Weidman.
The UFC middleweight champion continued his reign of dominance with a quick victory over Vitor Belfort in the co-main event of the evening. He withstood an early barrage of…
UFC 187 saw the legend of Chris Weidman grow. Yes, the legend of Chris Weidman.
The UFC middleweight champion continued his reign of dominance with a quick victory over Vitor Belfort in the co-main event of the evening. He withstood an early barrage of punches and then responded with a beatdown.
It was an interesting fight before the weigh-ins, but Weidman and Belfort jawed back and forth with one another. As MMA Fighting notes, Weidman took the mix and exclaimed that Belfort was still cheating. The surprising promo cut by Weidman made the fight all the more interesting. And with a fire lit under him, he made an example of “The Phenom.”
If that fire continues to burn under Weidman, the rest of the division should be very concerned. Weidman took Belfort down easily, passed into mount more easily and beat Belfort up until the referee stepped in to save the Brazilian.
It was another Brazilian star on the ledger for Weidman. He has now defeated Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and Belfort during his title reign. He continues to be more impressive in each outing. Weidman is a dominant champion who is underappreciated. Perhaps his UFC 187 showing will endear him to more fans.
At the Las Vegas fight, 12,615 people saw Weidman destroy his latest challenger.
Weidman has two credible challengers lying in wait in Luke Rockhold and Jacare Souza, but Dana White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that there is no announcement on who is next. If the champion had his way, it would be Rockhold, or so he said at the post-fight press conference.
The champ specifically said the only thing he cares about right now is the impending Madison Square Garden fight card should New York legalize the sport of MMA. That event is very important to him, and after Saturday’s performance the UFC should give him whatever he wants.
UFC 187 got off to a rocky start with some lackluster prelims, but the main card turned it up to 11.
All five fights delivered.
Flyweights John Moraga and Joseph Benavidez performed at a high level and had some good grappling exchanges. Lightweights D…
UFC 187 got off to a rocky start with some lackluster prelims, but the main card turned it up to 11.
All five fights delivered.
Flyweights John Moraga and Joseph Benavidez performed at a high level and had some good grappling exchanges. Lightweights Donald Cerrone and John Makdessi showcased their standing in the next fight. Then Andrei Arlovski and Travis Browne tore the house down.
And the night wasn’t over. There were still two title fights to go.
Chris Weidman and Daniel Cormier continued to show the power of USA Wrestling. Both men took their opponents down and dominated. Weidman in quicker fashion with a TKO in the first round, and Cormier got the submission in the third after breaking Anthony Johnson.
After that main card, who won the bonuses? Here’s who:
Performance of the Night: Chris Weidman
Weidman got $50,000 in performance bonus money for his destruction of VitorBelfort.
He had to take a few punches during Belfort‘s early flurry, but he was never in big danger. He covered up nicely while Belfort wasted energy. Then came the takedown. Once Belfort was down, Weidman easily passed into mount where he landed quality ground-and-pound.
The first-round TKO finish was certainly worth the bonus cash.
Performance of the Night: Daniel Cormier
It was almost a short night for Cormier.
DC got dropped by an early overhand right from Johnson, but he was able to recover. Once he regained his bearings, DC was able to initiate his game plan. Cormier‘s wrestling is vastly superior to Johnson’s, and he made him carry his weight.
Johnson gassed visibly very quickly. In the second round, Johnson was only able to muster a short burst of strikes before once again meeting the mat. In the third, Cormier finished with a rear-naked choke.
After the fight, Cormier called out Jon Jones. Jones is still indefinitely suspended, but UFC President Dana White said earlier in the week he will get an immediate title shot once he is reinstated. Thus, it would appear the second fight between the rivals is on tap once Jones is clear to return.
But this is all about UFC 187. Cormier‘s championship showing earned him pocket change.
Fight of the Night: Andrei Arlovski vs. Travis Browne
There is no other choice than the crazy, insane, fantastic heavyweight scrap between Andrei Arlovski and Travis Browne.
It was bonkers.
Arlovski rocked Browne repeatedly only to nearly suffer a knockout loss. Arlovski worked back up to his feet and hurt Browne again! This time he was able to finish. And I am underselling what happened in that fight. The round of the year.
The heavyweight tilt may very well be at the top of the list for Fight of the Year in 2015. It was that good. Time will tell what the victory does for Arlovski, but there is little doubt this was one of his most memorable fights. It was an instant classic. Fantastic fight worth every penny.
During his final pre-fight interview at UFC 187, Chris Weidman said he was looking forward to putting what he called “the Vitor Belfort era” behind him once and for all.
It had taken more than 15 months to get him in the Octagon with Belfor…
During his final pre-fight interview at UFC 187, Chris Weidman said he was looking forward to putting what he called “the VitorBelfort era” behind him once and for all.
It had taken more than 15 months to get him in the Octagon with Belfort, owing to the challenger’s failed drug test and Weidman’s injuries. When he finally got his chance, the middleweight champion wasted very little time bringing their long, simmering feud to a thudding end.
Weidman survived a brief—but heart-stopping—flurry from Belfort early in their co-main event bout on Saturday before he was able to ground him with a takedown in the middle of the cage. From there it was academic, as Weidman worked quickly to a dominant position and pounded Belfort until the referee pushed him off.
Total time it took him to work out his frustrations: Two minutes, 53 seconds.
It was enough time for the champion to make good on his promise to make Belfort “pay” for his three-year dalliance with testosterone-replacement therapy. It wasn’t enough, however, for Weidman to win over all of the fans in attendance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“Stop doubting me!” he shouted to a mixed response from the crowd when the fight was over. “It’s enough! Stop doubting me! You better join the team now. This is my last invitation. Join the team!”
See, Weidman’s irritations likely included more than just Belfort on this night. He has been 185-pound champion for nearly two years now, but a certain percentage of UFC fans have been slow to embrace him.
He faced doubters and some out-and-out hostility after defeating Anderson Silva in back-to-back appearances during 2013. His 2014 bout with LyotoMachida drew near-unanimous approval as a Fight of the Year candidate, but Weidman’s popularity still didn’t swell to levels enjoyed by other young UFC stars like Ronda Rousey or ConorMcGregor.
This was a good week for him. He came across as authentic and likable during a lengthy sitdown with MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani. He fared just as well when the UFC sent him out to do a few more mainstream media appearances:
Then he dusted Belfort in a shade more than half a round. Still, it seemed as though he came away from the experience feeling a bit unloved.
A sizable contingent of Brazilian fans had reportedly traveled to Las Vegas to cheer on Belfort. This had been a long time coming for them, too. Three times before—at UFC 173, UFC 181 and UFC 184—scheduled meetings between the two fighters had to be postponed. In the interim, tensions between the two camps remained high.
For its part, the UFC steadfastly ignored Belfort’s TRT use during its pay-per-view broadcast, but continually lauded his longevity and his knockout wins over Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson during 2013. That trio of wins all came while Belfort was undergoing the controversial treatment, which was banned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in February 2014.
Belfort showed up at UFC 187 looking notably softer, noticeably smaller after reportedly passing a gauntlet of out-of-competition drug tests leading up to this bout. He had not fought since November 9, 2013, while transitioned away from TRT, a process he once said would put him at a disadvantage.
Even without his medicine, though, Belfort proved dangerous, if only fleetingly.
Weidman came out of his corner aggressively at the opening bell, throwing a pair of head kicks and shooting for a takedown inside the first minute. Belfort shucked off that first attempt, and as their wild scramble spilled across the cage, he hit Weidman with a kick and stung him with a left hand.
The punch appeared to hurt the champion—he came away bloodied over one eye—and he momentarily covered up against the fence as Belfort began to tee off on him. But Weidman was able to circle away from the chain link and, after a moment to collect himself, landed a double-leg takedown that put Belfort on his back.
From top position, Weidman threw a series of heavy hammerfists that forced the challenger to roll to try to minimize the damage. From there, Weidman squirmed into mount and continued to rain down blows until referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the action.
“I knew he wanted to fight on the ground,” Belfort said to UFC color commentator Joe Rogan in the cage after the fight. “I was trying to avoid it, but it was a better night for him. I was doing great. I should’ve kept my distance and kept punching and kicking him, but I let him take me down.”
With Belfort now out of the way, there is no shortage of middleweight competition waiting for the next open date on Weidman’s dance card. It is largely assumed he’ll meet up with Rockhold, after the California native stopped Machida in under two full rounds last month. If Rockhold somehow doesn’t fit the bill, however, there are JacareSouza and Yoel Romero still waiting for their opportunities.
The win over Belfort pushed Weidman to 13-0. At age 30, he’s slowly but surely making his case as one of the world’s top pound-for-pound fighters and one of the UFC’s most dominant champions.
Like it or not, however, he still has a ways to go before absolutely everybody joins the team.
The void left by Jon Jones’ absence in the light heavyweight division will remain a difficult fix.
But after Saturday’s main event at UFC 187, the 205-pound roster finally has a new champ to target.
On the heels of relentless grappling and outstanding…
The void left by Jon Jones’ absence in the light heavyweight division will remain a difficult fix.
But after Saturday’s main event at UFC 187, the 205-pound roster finally has a new champ to target.
On the heels of relentless grappling and outstanding conditioning, Daniel Cormier practically obliterated Anthony “Rumble” Johnson en route to capturing the light heavyweight title via a third-round rear-naked choke.
Here is what we learned from the ultra-important championship fight as DC solidified his spot among today’s elite fighters.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Cormier’s pressure, persistence and ability to overwhelm Johnson were the main things we will remember from this title fight.
Johnson was able to land in fashion when Cormier gave him distance, but he just didn’t do enough in close quarters to ward off DC’s wrestling.
Rumble’s inability to push Cormier off of him on the ground was also truly significant in this fight, which was a by-product of sapped energy and inferior technique.
All in all, the Olympian followed his cut-and-dry game plan to repel one of the best power punchers in the sport today.
What We Learned About Cormier
It’s no secret that Cormier’s pressure-cooking wrestling is arguably the best in the business.
At UFC 187, he showed that against a super athlete with freak power and worthwhile takedown defense.
Even after eating relentless combinations, head kicks and body shots, Cormier pushed forward like he does every day in the gym opposite UFC heavyweight kingpin Cain Velasquez.
Everything that Cormier displayed on Saturday is what you expect from a ground-and-pound, grind-’em-out light heavyweight who apparently has an iron chin.
What We Learned About Johnson
Taking nothing away from Johnson and his return to MMA prominence, he more or less laid down for Cormier at UFC 187.
He certainly had his opportunities to end the fight via knockout, but his lack of conditioning and inability to overcome adversity off his back ultimately cost him a UFC title.
We learned that if Johnson doesn’t land those fight-ending power shots in the first few minutes of the fight, he’ll fade when pushed.
It’s unfortunate because he’s one of the most likeable players in the 205-pound division today.
What’s Next for Cormier
If Jones is able to fight by the end of the year, then a rematch between the two is the only option at this point.
But if the former champ is not allowed to enter the Octagon in the near future, Ryan Bader is probably the most likely to challenge Cormier for his first title defense.
It may not be the most entertaining choice because DC’s wrestling will certainly take over once again, but Bader has earned his keep and was already scheduled to fight Cormier at UFC Fight Night 68 in June before the new champ filled in to fight Rumble.
However, if Alexander Gustafsson or Rashad Evans can get healthy fast, then they would serve as worthy contenders.
What’s Next for Johnson
At just 31 years of age, Johnson has a long future ahead of him in the UFC light heavyweight division.
His power is truly crowd pleasing and a staple of his game that will allow him to successfully promote in the future.
With that said, his conditioning was called into question on Saturday night, and he needs someone who is going to stand and exchange with him to get back on track.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is someone who fits that mold to a tee.
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, lightweight champion? It’s a real possibility, ladies and gentlemen.