UFC 182 finally hits the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on January 3, headlined by reigning UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon ‘Bones’ Jones (20-1) taking on undefeated juggernaut Daniel ‘DC’ Cormier (15-0). UFC 182 marks the promotion’s opening show of 2015, and the UFC are setting the bar high, very high, with what could play out as the biggest and most anticipated fight of 2015.
It all started with a, shall we say, mild personal beef between the two fighters following an awkward first meeting with one another. This slight bitterness would lay dormant and undocumented until shortly after May 24 when Daniel Cormier bulldozed through the iconic Dan Henderson to line himself up for a shot at Jones’ 205lb crown.
Since then, the rivalry festered and accelerated rapidly to become one of the most heated and talked about confrontations in UFC history. From their press conference brawl to an eyebrow raising spat (pun intended) that aired live on ESPN Sport Centre when neither man realized the cameras were rolling, Jones vs. Cormier has supplied more than its fair share of infamous moments, and is one truly personal rivalry.
The benefits of Jones’ athleticism, agility, and 84.5 inch reach have been strongly evident with each and every contest. As a strong wrestler posing a submission threat from all angles, in addition to unorthodox yet fluid striking, the movements of Jones are unpredictable each time he steps into the UFC Octagon. While the majority of his victories have been met with little resistance, despite high caliber opposition, Jones proved on September 21, 2013 that he can go all out in a 5-round war by edging top contender Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 165; taking victory on the judges’ scorecards with the bout being declared ‘Fight of the Year 2013’.
Essentially undefeated with a record seven light-heavyweight title defenses to his name, the compelling ability of Jones can be highlighted in his December 10, 2011 victory over former champion and perennial top contender Lyoto Machida at UFC 140. Jones rendered Machida unconscious in the second round with a forceful standing guillotine choke, yet one of the main post-fight talking points was the fact that Jones finally showed some vulnerability with Machida managing to land just two notable punches, talk about nitpicking.
However, at UFC 182 the 27-year-old Jones is set to face an all new beast in the form of Daniel Cormier, 36, who poses the most credible threat to his crown since he first held the title aloft at UFC 128 in 2011. Daniel Cormier is no ordinary light-heavyweight contender, Daniel Cormier is a former Olympic wrestler, arguably the best in UFC history, and has evolved to become a dangerously rounded mixed martial artist with a savage striking game reminiscent of the great ‘Last Emperor’ Fedor Emelianenko who is widely regarded as the best heavyweight to ever compete in MMA.
What sets Cormier apart from previous challengers is that he was first on the verge of challenging for the heavyweight championship as recently as 2013, accumulating one victory after another among the 265lb ranks. Cormier would likely have made a legitimate case for the heavyweight title, but instead made the highly anticipated drop to 205lbs when friend and fellow AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) fighter Cain Velasquez regained the heavyweight crown for himself.
Jones has never faced an opponent quite like Cormier, who brings to UFC 182 a collection of major heavyweight scalps. Having taken out some of the biggest men in the sport, Cormier won the 2012 Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix with a series of victories that saw him demolish former UFC heavyweight title challenger Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva, before going on to defeat former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett when Cormier memorably picked up his 250lb opponent with a single leg, and flipped him over onto the canvas.
Patrick Cummins was the unfortunate soul who took the brunt of Cormier’s light-heavyweight debut at UFC 170; it took just 79-seconds for ‘DC’ to force a TKO stoppage, but the biggest statement was made when the legendary Dan Henderson, the UFC’s resident man’s man, was rag-dolled, slammed and thrown around the Octagon at UFC 173 in a manner that we’d never seen before. Cormier put an end to the contest with a rear-naked-choke in the third round, rendering Henderson unconscious.
Who wants it more? There’s no doubt that each man’s competitive nature has stepped up a gear for this contest. For the last four years Jones has grown used to the championship spotlight having cleaned out the division, but admits that Cormier has refreshed his excitement. That being said, the emotional drive of Cormier could be one of the most important factors. At the 2004 Olympics Cormier placed 4th in Freestyle Wrestling, losing to eventual gold medalist Khadzhimurat Gatsalov who now contributes as a key training partner for ‘DC’ heading into UFC 182.
However, the memory that may well be fueling Cormier comes from his failed attempt at the 2008 Olympics. As the USA team captain, Cormier was credited as the world’s no.2 wrestler, but his high hopes of gold were smashed before he could even compete as kidney failure set in due to weight cut issues. The pinnacle was in sight, but Cormier fell devastatingly short in his first love of wrestling, and recalls being left in tears.
At UFC 182 retribution is on the table for Cormier with the pinnacle of mixed martial arts within reach, victory could be the crowning moment that finally overshadows those memories of 2008, the final hurdle is simply Jon Jones – the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet.
With Cormier fighting as the shorter man in addition to a hugely significant reach disadvantage (12 inches), success lies in his ability to close the distance with the threatening forward movement that he’s known for. As the faster, more explosive striker, Cormier’s heavy hands can bring great discomfort and force the champion onto the back foot to entice a brawl; furthermore, if Cormier is able to secure takedowns at will then a huge statement will be sent to all in attendance, providing he can make the most of dominant positions against Jones who will most likely be well drilled in fighting from the bottom.
Closing the distance against Jones will be an achievement of its own, the champion will be wary and elusive, especially against Cormier, if threatened at all Jones will back away to maintain control with his insane reach while moving in to pick his own clinical shots with comfort. The height difference could provide some great openings for Jones to throw high kicks, but any missed power shots or spinning elbows could be equally valuable to the shorter Cormier whose low center of gravity is perfect for ducking shots and shooting in.
Jones will no doubt boast superior cardio; even if Cormier is able to take control and establish himself as the aggressor, his biggest challenge could be fighting to a points decision that would require the former heavyweight to go the full distance and match the energy of Jones throughout the contest.
Prediction: at UFC 182 Cormier will supply a tremendous bid for the title, but Jones will particularly shine in later rounds to secure a decision win for what could be the defining victory of his time as UFC light-heavyweight champion.
