10 reasons to watch UFC 182, most of which are Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier
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1. Wear the grudge like a crown
It’s always seemed a little silly, the genesis of the rivalry between Jones and Cormier. A little cocky takedown challenge from Jones? Not a cause for a meltdown for most people. But maybe when you’ve sweat and bled on the mats for as long as Cormier, you’re a little more sensitive than others. Maybe when you’ve come so close to gold, as Cormier did making two Olympic teams, you burn at the thought of a younger, taller guy digging at you.
Jones was probably just being Jones backstage at UFC 121, but he surely got a lot more than he bargained for in Cormier’s reaction. Just like two superpowers, the two were incapable of backing away from a challenge. Four years after this whole thing kicked off, we’re incapable of looking away.
2. Clash of personality
Another scintillating part of the Jones/Cormier saga is the vibe between these two. Jones, 27, frequently comes across as guarded and a little holier-than-thou during interviews, which has fueled criticisms that he’s fake.
Cormier, 35, is the opposite, giving the impression he’s a thoughtful everyman. So far, Cormier is the only Jones opponent to bring down the veil around the champ, or at least the only one we’ve seen.
It might have been technology that was responsible for a raw look at Jones (or more specifically, a lack of awareness surrounding technology). But now, after years of fighting and losing the PR battle, he’s finally embraced the role of bad guy.
Surely those boos on the way to the cage will be music to his ears, right?
3. The wrestling question
It feels like a lot of MMA fans are falling into a familiar trap over the stylistic matchup at play in Saturday’s headliner, equating Cormier’s wrestling pedigree to an entirely new threat for Jones (He’s faced wrestlers, but not THIS level of wrestler!) And of course, the UFC has encouraged it. They sold us on Quinton Jackson’s punching, on Lyoto Machida’s karate, on Rashad Evans’ overall threat — even Alexander Gustafsson’s height. How’ve those worked out?
Jones is good – really good – at evolving against threats. All great champions are. It won’t be one element of MMA that decides Saturday’s fight — it will be all of them.
Sure, there are some key areas to look at, such as whether Jones can keep distance and Cormier can stay inside. But there’s clinchwork, cage tactics, scrambles on the ground – in other words, all the components of a well-matched MMA fight. That’s what makes this one good – not just wrestling. Cormier is much more than just one threat.
4. Somebody’s effective 0 to go
Officially, we are required to say this is not a fight between two undefeated fighters. But c’mon – we all know that’s not really true.
Jones lost a fight against Matt Hamill on a technicality when he was disqualified for illegal elbows in 2009, a fight he was otherwise dominating.
Daniel Cormier has beaten 15 opponents without a loss, with most of his victories coming in the heavyweight division. Officially, it’s Jones’ 11-fight streak against Cormier’s 15, but assuming force majeure isn’t at play, Saturday will bring the first legitimate sting of a loss to the guy who doesn’t get his hand raised.
5. Armistice day
So many words, so much drama. Jones and Cormier were fighting at a distance, and then at close range. Off-camera, then on. Thoroughly invested, then cold and distant. Can 25 potential minutes in the cage bring a handshake?
Of course, the brawl at MGM was thought to be fake by many outsiders. Who can blame them with all the fooled-you endings to reported grudge matches? But if you think it was staged, ask photographer Esther Lin whether she signed up to get smacked in the head with Cormier’s shoe when he threw it at Jon. She enjoys shooting carnage — not participating it.
Maybe Cormier should make peace with her, too. Just saying.
6. On the brink
Lightweight Myles Jury (15-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) is tied with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the longest active win streak in the 155-pound division. What do they have in common? A difficulty finding traction as marquee attractions.
Enter Donald Cerrone (25-6 MMA, 12-3 UFC), a likably reckless attraction known for head kicks and bonus checks.
It’s the kind of fight that could put Jury over, so to speak, if it doesn’t end up making him another notch on the belt of “Cowboy.” It’s a lightweight fight for the de-facto No. 3 contender spot behind Rafael dos Anjos and Nurmagomedov.
7. Middle earth
Decade-plus vet Nate Marquardt (33-13-2 MMA, 11-6 UFC) is at that point in his career where he’ll try just about anything to get back that old spark, and a return to middleweight, where he once vied for the belt against now-former champ Anderson Silva, is a good move considering the change in that division as of late.
His second opponent since returning to the class is Brad Tavares (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), who one year ago was a guy to watch with five straight wins.
Marquardt’s recent win over James Te Huna brought a glimpse of that spark, but it was also fighting a guy who wasn’t a career 185-er. Tavares is a better measuring stick of his chances for a second title shot.
8. Flyweight contender watch
Former Shooto champion Kyoji Horiguchi (14-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has torn it up as a UFC flyweight, winning three straight with two stoppages inside the promotion’s octagon.
Lacking in the run are opponents with good names, so a fight with Louis Gaudinot (6-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC), the green-haired veteran of “TUF 14,” brings an opportunity to build his name for a potential title run.
Gaudinot hasn’t fought in 10 months, so he’s got a tough task ahead.
9. Onward the hammer marches
“TUF 2” alum Josh Burkman (27-10 MMA, 5-5 UFC) is the comeback kid, having worked his way back to the UFC after a five-year absence. He’s long been one of the division’s more talented and creative fighters. But he gets the unfortunate task of meeting 170’s version of Thor, Hector Lombard (34-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC), whose fists start and end fights.
Burkman has to mix up ranges and be faster than his mighty opponent, or he falls before he gets started.
10. Last chance for Dunham
Once the lightweight division’s most promising lightweight, Evan Dunham (14-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) got a bum decision and then lost his footing against top-tier competition.
After some initial signs of life against mid-level guys, he’s lost three straight to top contenders such as Rafael dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone and Edson Barboza. The guy never takes an easy fight.
But this time, he gets one slightly easier on paper, against uneven vet Rodrigo Damm (12-8 MMA, 3-3 UFC). Dunham’s fighting style has won him longevity, but not if he can’t turn it around.
View attachment 141
1. Wear the grudge like a crown
It’s always seemed a little silly, the genesis of the rivalry between Jones and Cormier. A little cocky takedown challenge from Jones? Not a cause for a meltdown for most people. But maybe when you’ve sweat and bled on the mats for as long as Cormier, you’re a little more sensitive than others. Maybe when you’ve come so close to gold, as Cormier did making two Olympic teams, you burn at the thought of a younger, taller guy digging at you.
Jones was probably just being Jones backstage at UFC 121, but he surely got a lot more than he bargained for in Cormier’s reaction. Just like two superpowers, the two were incapable of backing away from a challenge. Four years after this whole thing kicked off, we’re incapable of looking away.
2. Clash of personality
Another scintillating part of the Jones/Cormier saga is the vibe between these two. Jones, 27, frequently comes across as guarded and a little holier-than-thou during interviews, which has fueled criticisms that he’s fake.
Cormier, 35, is the opposite, giving the impression he’s a thoughtful everyman. So far, Cormier is the only Jones opponent to bring down the veil around the champ, or at least the only one we’ve seen.
It might have been technology that was responsible for a raw look at Jones (or more specifically, a lack of awareness surrounding technology). But now, after years of fighting and losing the PR battle, he’s finally embraced the role of bad guy.
Surely those boos on the way to the cage will be music to his ears, right?
3. The wrestling question
It feels like a lot of MMA fans are falling into a familiar trap over the stylistic matchup at play in Saturday’s headliner, equating Cormier’s wrestling pedigree to an entirely new threat for Jones (He’s faced wrestlers, but not THIS level of wrestler!) And of course, the UFC has encouraged it. They sold us on Quinton Jackson’s punching, on Lyoto Machida’s karate, on Rashad Evans’ overall threat — even Alexander Gustafsson’s height. How’ve those worked out?
Jones is good – really good – at evolving against threats. All great champions are. It won’t be one element of MMA that decides Saturday’s fight — it will be all of them.
Sure, there are some key areas to look at, such as whether Jones can keep distance and Cormier can stay inside. But there’s clinchwork, cage tactics, scrambles on the ground – in other words, all the components of a well-matched MMA fight. That’s what makes this one good – not just wrestling. Cormier is much more than just one threat.
4. Somebody’s effective 0 to go
Officially, we are required to say this is not a fight between two undefeated fighters. But c’mon – we all know that’s not really true.
Jones lost a fight against Matt Hamill on a technicality when he was disqualified for illegal elbows in 2009, a fight he was otherwise dominating.
Daniel Cormier has beaten 15 opponents without a loss, with most of his victories coming in the heavyweight division. Officially, it’s Jones’ 11-fight streak against Cormier’s 15, but assuming force majeure isn’t at play, Saturday will bring the first legitimate sting of a loss to the guy who doesn’t get his hand raised.
5. Armistice day
So many words, so much drama. Jones and Cormier were fighting at a distance, and then at close range. Off-camera, then on. Thoroughly invested, then cold and distant. Can 25 potential minutes in the cage bring a handshake?
Of course, the brawl at MGM was thought to be fake by many outsiders. Who can blame them with all the fooled-you endings to reported grudge matches? But if you think it was staged, ask photographer Esther Lin whether she signed up to get smacked in the head with Cormier’s shoe when he threw it at Jon. She enjoys shooting carnage — not participating it.
Maybe Cormier should make peace with her, too. Just saying.
6. On the brink
Lightweight Myles Jury (15-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) is tied with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the longest active win streak in the 155-pound division. What do they have in common? A difficulty finding traction as marquee attractions.
Enter Donald Cerrone (25-6 MMA, 12-3 UFC), a likably reckless attraction known for head kicks and bonus checks.
It’s the kind of fight that could put Jury over, so to speak, if it doesn’t end up making him another notch on the belt of “Cowboy.” It’s a lightweight fight for the de-facto No. 3 contender spot behind Rafael dos Anjos and Nurmagomedov.
7. Middle earth
Decade-plus vet Nate Marquardt (33-13-2 MMA, 11-6 UFC) is at that point in his career where he’ll try just about anything to get back that old spark, and a return to middleweight, where he once vied for the belt against now-former champ Anderson Silva, is a good move considering the change in that division as of late.
His second opponent since returning to the class is Brad Tavares (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), who one year ago was a guy to watch with five straight wins.
Marquardt’s recent win over James Te Huna brought a glimpse of that spark, but it was also fighting a guy who wasn’t a career 185-er. Tavares is a better measuring stick of his chances for a second title shot.
8. Flyweight contender watch
Former Shooto champion Kyoji Horiguchi (14-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has torn it up as a UFC flyweight, winning three straight with two stoppages inside the promotion’s octagon.
Lacking in the run are opponents with good names, so a fight with Louis Gaudinot (6-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC), the green-haired veteran of “TUF 14,” brings an opportunity to build his name for a potential title run.
Gaudinot hasn’t fought in 10 months, so he’s got a tough task ahead.
9. Onward the hammer marches
“TUF 2” alum Josh Burkman (27-10 MMA, 5-5 UFC) is the comeback kid, having worked his way back to the UFC after a five-year absence. He’s long been one of the division’s more talented and creative fighters. But he gets the unfortunate task of meeting 170’s version of Thor, Hector Lombard (34-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC), whose fists start and end fights.
Burkman has to mix up ranges and be faster than his mighty opponent, or he falls before he gets started.
10. Last chance for Dunham
Once the lightweight division’s most promising lightweight, Evan Dunham (14-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) got a bum decision and then lost his footing against top-tier competition.
After some initial signs of life against mid-level guys, he’s lost three straight to top contenders such as Rafael dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone and Edson Barboza. The guy never takes an easy fight.
But this time, he gets one slightly easier on paper, against uneven vet Rodrigo Damm (12-8 MMA, 3-3 UFC). Dunham’s fighting style has won him longevity, but not if he can’t turn it around.