WRITTEN BY MMA GENIUS (@mmagenius05)
2015 will open up with a colossal bang for the UFC as Jon Jones will go head-to-head with bitter rival Daniel Cormier with the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World hanging in the balance.
Dating back to the Summer, a brawl during a press conference between these two has served up mountains of bad blood that will be put to rest when they leave it all in the Octagon in Vegas on Saturday 3 January 2014.
Potentially one of the biggest threats to the title in many-a-year, Daniel Cormier may just dethrone the unstoppable Jon Jones. All eyes will be on this war. All eyes.
Get geared up for fight night with skill breakdowns, advantages, predictions and preview for the main card fights.
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| One of the most anticipated grudge matches in history will take place at UFC 182. Image: Zuffa LLC via Getty Images |
Dating back to the Summer, a brawl during a press conference between these two has served up mountains of bad blood that will be put to rest when they leave it all in the Octagon in Vegas on Saturday 3 January 2014.
Potentially one of the biggest threats to the title in many-a-year, Daniel Cormier may just dethrone the unstoppable Jon Jones. All eyes will be on this war. All eyes.
Get geared up for fight night with skill breakdowns, advantages, predictions and preview for the main card fights.
Jon "Bones" Jones vs Daniel "DC" Cormier - UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (Main Event)
Striking Advantage: I give Jones the edge in the striking department due to his incredibly long reach. Cormier is no slouch on the feet, but he primarily uses his striking to set up his world class wrestling. Jones has a good array of calf and shin kicks, but I wonder if he will use them considering Cormier's wrestling pedigree.
Grappling Advantage: I give the edge to DC in the grappling. No one has been able to come close to stopping DC's takedowns, and a lot of those guys were at Heavyweight. He literally picked Josh Barnett up and tossed him on his head, and Barnett probably has 40 or so pounds on Jon Jones. Jones was taken down by Alexander Gustaffson so I am almost positive DC can and will take him down. Jones does have a pretty good submission game, but we rarely ever see him on his back. We will find out though in this fight.
Breakdown: This is the fight we have all been waiting for. All the prefight trash talk is winding down and the moment of truth is coming. I expect Jones' game plan is to keep the fight on the feet and keep things funky. I am not sure if it is possible to take Cormier down, but I wouldn't be shocked if Jones tried. Who knows how good Cormier is off his back? I expect Cormier to implement his usual game plan of wrestling and more wrestling. Beating Jones would be one thing, but finishing him would be epic. A win for Jones against Cormier would solidify his place among the top of the P4P list.
Prediction: I think the Light Heavyweight Belt will change hands for the first time in almost 4 years. I am predicting a unanimous decision victory for Daniel Cormier.
Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone vs Myles "Fury" Jury
Striking Advantage: I definitely give the edge to Cowboy Cerrone in the striking. Cowboy is one of the best strikers in the UFC and has some of the best knees and leg kicks in the UFC. Jury is now slouch on the feet either. Jury rarely makes mistakes and is really clean and crisp. Jury is good, but not on Cowboy's level when it comes to striking. The interesting this is Cowboy has the tendency to come out really slow in the 1st round, and Jury has the power and finishing ability to dispose of Cowboy.
Grappling Advantage: This is where the fight gets interesting. Both guys are black belts and have great ground games. Jury is good everywhere on the ground, and Cowboy is fantastic off his back. Ill say the grappling advantage is about even in this fight. Both guys are a threat to pull off submissions.
Breakdown: This fight is closer than people think. Jury is a very smart fighter and his camp Alliance MMA is very good at game planning. Jury is smart and disciplined enough to win a decision. Cowboy has a history of choking in fights when he is close to a title shot. Jury's game plan is probably to keep at a distance and stay out of range of Cowboy's kicks. I think Jury will look at some point to shoot takedowns and edge out the rounds. Cowboy will probably look to land those hard leg kicks and knees. Cowboy is really good when he is moving forward. Cowboy has come to far to loose now, and a loss to Jury would be devastating for him at this point. A win for Jury would launch Jury into title contention and probably into a #1 contender fight.
Prediction: I will take Cowboy Cerrone via Unanimous Decision. I think it will be a pretty close fight for the most part, but I think the leg kicks from Cowboy will play a factor towards Round 3. I don't see Jury being finished, but Cowboy should get the victory. The winner of this fight should fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the #1 contender position.
Brad Taveras vs Nate "The Great" Marquardt
Striking Advantage: Both guys are good strikers that have power. If I had to give an edge in the striking I would give it to Taveras though. Taveras has really good technique and is really crisp throwing combos. Marquardt is a good striker, but has had problems taking punches recently when he was at 170. It is really close, but slight advantage to Taveras.
Grappling Advantage: Marquardt has the edge in grappling forsure. He is coming off his beautiful armbar finish of James Te Huna. For a striker, Taveras has decent takedowns, but I do not think he will be able to take Marquardt down frequently. Taveras has had trouble with getting up from bottom in the past in fights against Aaron Simpson and Yoel Romero. Marquardt does not have that same wrestling ability as those guys, but if he can get on top he should have the advantage.
Breakdown: Taveras really needs this win as he has lost his last 2 fights. Marquardt had a great return back to the middleweight division in his last fight and will look to continue that success. I have been disappointed with Taveras lately as he has completely changed his style and has been playing it safe a lot in his fights. Marquardt looked rejuvenated in his last fight and looked to have overcomed his demons. I expect Taveras to try to keep the fight standing and pick apart Marquardt. I expect Marquardt not to have to much of gameplan, but If things are not going well on the feet I definitely thing he will look to get this fight on the ground where he has the advantage.
Prediction: I will take Nate Marquardt by unanimous decision. This fight is really close though, do not be surprised if Taveras edges out a decision.
Kyoji Horiguchi vs Louis "Goodnight" Gaudinot
Striking Advantage: Horiguchi definitely has the advantage on the feet. He is extremely quick and powerful and hits really solid angles. One thing Horiguchi is extremely good at his throwing kicks to the body that hurt his opponents. Gaudinot is a decent striker, but he is really stiff when punching. Gaudinot does have a good inside leg kick, but Horiguchi is fast enough to get out of range.
Grappling Advantage: If Horiguchi had a weakness it would be probably his takedown defense, but he is improving steadily. Gaudinot has good submissions as he showed against Phil Harris. The one thing to take in to play is Gaudinot has showed to tire out early in fights, which could eliminate his grappling ability. One thing to watch out for is Gaudinot's guillotine choke. It is deadly and has put guys like John Lineker to sleep. I say the grappling is about even, it all comes down to who can capitalize on opportunities.
Breakdown: Horiguchi is one of the brightest up and coming guys at 125, and a win over Gaudinot should get him a step up in competition. Gaudinot is coming off a submission win that was later overturned due to failed drug test. I think Gaudinot wants to keep this fight in close range. Horiguchi will pick apart Gaudinot at a distance. I am sure Gaudinot will look to shoot at any opportunity he can as well.
Prediction: I like Kyoji Horiguchi via 2nd round TKO. I believe Horiguchi will catch Gaudinot with a body kick or a straight right hand and finish Gaudinot off with punches.
Hector "Showeather" Lombard vs Josh "The Peoples Warrior" Burkman
Striking Advantage: Lombard is the more precise and powerful striker. You can't ever count Burkman out, but Lombard has a big advantage on the feet.
Grappling Advantage: Lombard has the grappling advantage as well. He absolutely man handled one of the best grapplers in the world in Jake Shields, and has beat guys like Rousimar Palhares. Once Again, you can't count Brurkman out, as he is one of the only men to ever choke out Jon Fitch.
Breakdown: This is Burkman's return to the UFC after 6 years away, and he has a brutal first test in Lombard. Lombard is on a roll now since dropping to 170, and it has been the best thing he has done in his career. To be honest, Lombard is better everywhere than Burkman, but I expect him to take him down and beat him up. In Burkman's 10 losses, he has been submitted 6 times.
Prediction: I like Lombard via TKO 1st Round. I think he will be the first man to finish Burkman with strikes.
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We're all set for fight night. Stay tuned on fight night for live coverage. Could this finally be the time that the Light Heavyweight title changes hands? The possibilities are higher than ever.
The Time is Now for bitter rivalries.
This article was written by MMA Genius, the lead UFC writer at TheSportMatrix. Follow him on Twitter @mmagenius05 and also check out more of his articles here.
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| Jon Jones (left) and Daniel Cormier (right). |
Grappling Advantage: I give the edge to DC in the grappling. No one has been able to come close to stopping DC's takedowns, and a lot of those guys were at Heavyweight. He literally picked Josh Barnett up and tossed him on his head, and Barnett probably has 40 or so pounds on Jon Jones. Jones was taken down by Alexander Gustaffson so I am almost positive DC can and will take him down. Jones does have a pretty good submission game, but we rarely ever see him on his back. We will find out though in this fight.
Breakdown: This is the fight we have all been waiting for. All the prefight trash talk is winding down and the moment of truth is coming. I expect Jones' game plan is to keep the fight on the feet and keep things funky. I am not sure if it is possible to take Cormier down, but I wouldn't be shocked if Jones tried. Who knows how good Cormier is off his back? I expect Cormier to implement his usual game plan of wrestling and more wrestling. Beating Jones would be one thing, but finishing him would be epic. A win for Jones against Cormier would solidify his place among the top of the P4P list.
Prediction: I think the Light Heavyweight Belt will change hands for the first time in almost 4 years. I am predicting a unanimous decision victory for Daniel Cormier.
Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone vs Myles "Fury" Jury
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| Donald Cerrone (left) and Myles Jury (right). |
Grappling Advantage: This is where the fight gets interesting. Both guys are black belts and have great ground games. Jury is good everywhere on the ground, and Cowboy is fantastic off his back. Ill say the grappling advantage is about even in this fight. Both guys are a threat to pull off submissions.
Breakdown: This fight is closer than people think. Jury is a very smart fighter and his camp Alliance MMA is very good at game planning. Jury is smart and disciplined enough to win a decision. Cowboy has a history of choking in fights when he is close to a title shot. Jury's game plan is probably to keep at a distance and stay out of range of Cowboy's kicks. I think Jury will look at some point to shoot takedowns and edge out the rounds. Cowboy will probably look to land those hard leg kicks and knees. Cowboy is really good when he is moving forward. Cowboy has come to far to loose now, and a loss to Jury would be devastating for him at this point. A win for Jury would launch Jury into title contention and probably into a #1 contender fight.
Prediction: I will take Cowboy Cerrone via Unanimous Decision. I think it will be a pretty close fight for the most part, but I think the leg kicks from Cowboy will play a factor towards Round 3. I don't see Jury being finished, but Cowboy should get the victory. The winner of this fight should fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the #1 contender position.
Brad Taveras vs Nate "The Great" Marquardt
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| Brad Taveras (left) and Nate Marquardt (right). |
Grappling Advantage: Marquardt has the edge in grappling forsure. He is coming off his beautiful armbar finish of James Te Huna. For a striker, Taveras has decent takedowns, but I do not think he will be able to take Marquardt down frequently. Taveras has had trouble with getting up from bottom in the past in fights against Aaron Simpson and Yoel Romero. Marquardt does not have that same wrestling ability as those guys, but if he can get on top he should have the advantage.
Breakdown: Taveras really needs this win as he has lost his last 2 fights. Marquardt had a great return back to the middleweight division in his last fight and will look to continue that success. I have been disappointed with Taveras lately as he has completely changed his style and has been playing it safe a lot in his fights. Marquardt looked rejuvenated in his last fight and looked to have overcomed his demons. I expect Taveras to try to keep the fight standing and pick apart Marquardt. I expect Marquardt not to have to much of gameplan, but If things are not going well on the feet I definitely thing he will look to get this fight on the ground where he has the advantage.
Prediction: I will take Nate Marquardt by unanimous decision. This fight is really close though, do not be surprised if Taveras edges out a decision.
Kyoji Horiguchi vs Louis "Goodnight" Gaudinot
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| Kyoji Horiguchi (left) and Louis Gaudinot (right). |
Grappling Advantage: If Horiguchi had a weakness it would be probably his takedown defense, but he is improving steadily. Gaudinot has good submissions as he showed against Phil Harris. The one thing to take in to play is Gaudinot has showed to tire out early in fights, which could eliminate his grappling ability. One thing to watch out for is Gaudinot's guillotine choke. It is deadly and has put guys like John Lineker to sleep. I say the grappling is about even, it all comes down to who can capitalize on opportunities.
Breakdown: Horiguchi is one of the brightest up and coming guys at 125, and a win over Gaudinot should get him a step up in competition. Gaudinot is coming off a submission win that was later overturned due to failed drug test. I think Gaudinot wants to keep this fight in close range. Horiguchi will pick apart Gaudinot at a distance. I am sure Gaudinot will look to shoot at any opportunity he can as well.
Prediction: I like Kyoji Horiguchi via 2nd round TKO. I believe Horiguchi will catch Gaudinot with a body kick or a straight right hand and finish Gaudinot off with punches.
Hector "Showeather" Lombard vs Josh "The Peoples Warrior" Burkman
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| Hector Lombard (left) and Josh Burkman (right). |
Grappling Advantage: Lombard has the grappling advantage as well. He absolutely man handled one of the best grapplers in the world in Jake Shields, and has beat guys like Rousimar Palhares. Once Again, you can't count Brurkman out, as he is one of the only men to ever choke out Jon Fitch.
Breakdown: This is Burkman's return to the UFC after 6 years away, and he has a brutal first test in Lombard. Lombard is on a roll now since dropping to 170, and it has been the best thing he has done in his career. To be honest, Lombard is better everywhere than Burkman, but I expect him to take him down and beat him up. In Burkman's 10 losses, he has been submitted 6 times.
Prediction: I like Lombard via TKO 1st Round. I think he will be the first man to finish Burkman with strikes.
****
We're all set for fight night. Stay tuned on fight night for live coverage. Could this finally be the time that the Light Heavyweight title changes hands? The possibilities are higher than ever.
The Time is Now for bitter rivalries.
This article was written by MMA Genius, the lead UFC writer at TheSportMatrix. Follow him on Twitter @mmagenius05 and also check out more of his articles here.
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