UFC 182: Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier – A Closer Look

From fiery feuds featuring Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber, to heated head coach hostility pitting Rashad Evans vs. “Rampage” Jackson, MMA rivalries give already exciting fights in the cage that perfect little spark that pushes them to the next level. “The Time is Now” campaign could not be more in tune with this concept to kick off 2015 in style when two bitter rivals take center stage at UFC 182.

The UFC’s first PPV of 2015 starts things off with a bang as it is headlined by a fierce championship title fight in the 205-pound weight class when its king, Jon Jones defends his crown opposite the unbeaten Daniel Cormier in the main event. Because of its violent intensity and flair for the unique, this emotionally charged light heavyweight grudge match from inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena makes Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell’s famous rivalry look like an argument over a parking space.

The seeds of betrayal stem back to 2010 when Cormier initially met Jones in Anaheim. The two combatants were in attendance at UFC 121 were a face to face meeting went south as Jones decided to criticize his one day challenger on his wrestling and fighting capabilities. Cormier was left with a negative first impression that likely blossomed into a devoted hatred and dislike for the title holder incidentally fueling his obsession of dethroning the 205-pound ruler. Since dropping from the heavyweight class to the 205lbs waters Cormier has consistently called out the champ during his post-fight interviews desiring a shot at both Jones’ UFC belt as well as his aura of invincibility.

While the inevitable match between Jones and Cormier loomed, the next title defense for Jones was against Alex Gustaffson in a rematch of their UFC 165 classic. As fate would have it, Gustaffson pulled out due to injury allowing for Cormier to step in as a replacement for the title opportunity.

The infinite insults as well as tantalizing trash talk taunts eventually tipped over spilling into a physical altercation during a face-off promoting their bout scheduled at UFC 178 last September. In the blink of an eye a vicious shove morphed into a street brawl which knocked over half of the stage along with the poor souls desperately trying to pry these two warriors apart. Both men were slapped with hefty fines for their inappropriate behavior inside of the MGM Grand lobby as well as assigned community service. Ironically enough, about a month away from the bout Jones pulled out due to injury. Fans would now have to wait an excruciatingly extra 3 months since the fight was rescheduled to UFC 182 in January.

Jon “Bones” Jones (20-1) has never lost a fight via submission, knockout or points. The sole blemish to his stellar career came as a DQ opposite Matt Hamill in 2009 for an illegal elbow strike. Since then, the pride of New York has ridden an 11-fight win streak that sprouted in 2010 when he picked up a pair of 1^st round TKOs over Brandon Vera & Vladimir Matyushenko. In February of 2011, he submitted then unbeaten Ryan Bader via 2^nd round guillotine choke earning his UFC title shot. The next month Jones fought “Shogun” Rua for the belt picking the former PrideFC fighter apart, lifting the title from Rua via 3^rd round TKO to become the youngest UFC champion in the company’s history. He successfully defended his crown twice with submission victories over former UFC 205-pound champions, “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida. The following year ‘Bones” went the distance in a match for the first time in over 3 years when he easily outpointed former UFC 205-pound belt holder Rashad Evans by unanimous decision. He capped off 2012 submitting former UFC champ & UFC heavyweight tournament winner, Vitor Belfort, via 4^th round kimura lock. For 2013, the New York native made easy work of Chael Sonnen in April by finishing him via 1^st round TKO then went on to defend that fall against Alexander Gustaffson in a “Fight of the Year” performance, simultaneously setting a new record for having 6 consecutive UFC light heavyweight title defenses.  The original record by UFC Hall of Famer, Jacob “Tito” Ortiz, stood for a decade at 5 defenses in a row. Jones fought only once in 2014, cruising to a unanimous decision triumph over Glover Teixeira in April snapping the Brazilian’s 20-fight win streak.

Daniel “DC” Cormier (15-0) has never lost a fight, period. His perfect professional record has persistently posed a threat to any fighter he has ever faced. The Louisiana native originally paid his dues as a member of the 2004 and 2008 Olympic team before setting his sights on mixed martial arts. He made his pro debut in 2009 putting together a 4-fight winning streak via finishes before getting the call to join the Strikeforce roster in 2010.  “DC” mastered his craft at an outstanding rate for 2 years which led to his opportunity as a substitute in the prestigious Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2011. Relatively unknown to the general public and coming in as a noticeable underdog against tournament favorite, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, it was even more shocking when Cormier annihilated Silva via 1^st round KO. Again as an underdog he faced former UFC champion, Josh Barnett in the 2012 finals. Again he excelled as he effortlessly handled Barnett earning a unanimous decision triumph to win the tournament.

After a signature victory in his home state of Oklahoma where he knocked out Dion Staring in 2 rounds, it was on to the big league for the former King of the Cage heavyweight champion. Cormier made his UFC debut opposite former UFC heavyweight champion, Frank Mir, in 2013 scooping up another one sided decision victory. He easily picked up one last unanimous decision over former IFL title holder, Roy Nelson that fall to close out the year before dropping down to light heavyweight. Cormier’s new look for 2014 in the 205-pound weight class shined bright as he blasted Patrick Cummins in 1 round via TKO then went on to submit living legend, Dan Henderson, by rear naked choke in their UFC 173 bout.

As Jones enters the cage this weekend tied with fellow champion, Jose Aldo, for most consecutive UFC title defenses he meets a man who is putting his own impressive streak on the line. Jon Jones has never lost a championship title fight nor has he lost a championship title defense. The New Yorker’s successful run as a UFC fighter is bordering on legendary and can only continue to elevate him towards MMA immortality if he continues to maneuver through the Octagon unbeaten. Ironically, his opponent does not know how to lose either as Cormier steps into the cage poised with an unshakeable confidence. A confidence that has catapulted him to unimaginable heights, memorable upsets and the top of whatever weight class he has decided to lurk in. The only thing more compelling about these dominant fighters’ similarities is their unbelievable dislike for each other and how far they will go to avoid being the man whose streak ends at the MGM Grand Arena on Saturday night.

Tune in for the live broadcast or follow Boxeomundial on Twitter and Facebook for real time results as the UFC sets off its own fireworks with a huge UFC 182 PPV headlined by the 205lbs grudge match between champion Jon Jones and challenger Daniel Cormier.