UFC 173 results, photos: Daniel Cormier chokes out Dan Henderson

LAS VEGAS – In a meeting of two world-class wrestlers turned fighters, Daniel Cormier ran roughshod over the elder Dan Henderson.

Cormier (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) extended his unbeaten streak and likely seized the next shot at light heavyweight title by submitting Henderson (30-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) deep in the third round.

The light heavyweight fight co-headlined today’s UFC 173 main card at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

The fight was waved off at the 3:53 mark of the third after referee Yves Lavigne discovered Henderson was unconscious after Cormier took his back and applied a rear-naked choke.

The former Olympic wrestlers were fighting for the right to meet the winner of an upcoming title rematch between champ Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson.

Cormier, 35, called out Jones in the cage after his victory, interrupting UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

“Jon Jones.” he said as the crowd cheered. “You can’t run away from me forever. I’m the kind of the wrestling tournament that’s always in your bracket. No matter where you go boy, I’m coming. You better hurry, because I’m always getting better.”

Asked whether Henderson, a two-time Olympian in Greco-Roman wrestling, had offered any surprises, Cormier, who wrestled freestyle in the 2004 Games, stayed on the topic of his desired opponent.

“I know nobody can wrestle me, so it doesn’t matter,” he said. “If I decide to take Jon Jones down 100 times, I’ll take him down 100 times. This is my octagon. I’m the man.”

Henderson, 43, brushed off retirement talk but said he would perhaps fight at middleweight when he returned. He noted weighing in at 199 pounds, which is closer to the poundage of a middleweight before shedding to 185.

Henderson, who was forced to stop using testosterone-replacement therapy for the first time since 2007 when the Nevada State Athletic Commission banned the controversial treatment, said he didn’t notice the size differential until he met Cormier.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have given him that chicken,” said Henderson, referring to his joking attempt to confound his former heavyweight opponent’s weight cut by offering him Popeye’s Chicken.

Cormier certainly treated Henderson like the bigger man over three rounds, slamming him to the mat on multiple occasions and riding him around the octagon while hacking away with punches. By the third round, Henderson was exhausted and unable to defend himself from a choke.

Cormier dodged Henderson’s right hand early in the fight and took the fight southward, where he remained for nearly 15 minutes.

Cormier now owns back-to-back wins as a light heavyweight after a pair of victories at heavyweight, while Henderson drops to 1-4 in his past five outings.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 173 results include:

• Daniel Cormier def. Dan Henderson via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:53
• Robbie Lawler def. Jake Ellenberger via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:06
• Takeya Mizugaki def. Francisco Rivera via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• James Krause def. Jamie Varner via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 5:00
• Michael Chiesa def. Francisco Trinaldo via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
• Tony Ferguson def. Katsunori Kikuno via TKO (punch) – Round 1, 4:06
• Chris Holdsworth def. Chico Camus via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Mitch Clarke def. Al Iaquinta via submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 2, 4:57
• Vinc Pichel def. Anthony Njokuani via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Sam Sicilia def. Aaron Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Jingliang Li def. David Michaud via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

For full coverage of UFC 173, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(Matt Erickson and John Morgan contributed to this report on-site in Las Vegas.)