Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier. This is the one fight fans have long been waiting for.
Jones, the UFC Light Heavyweight champion who has defended his title an astounding seven times, is widely considered as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the business. Cormier, a former Olympic wrestler, is undefeated and expected to give the champ his most difficult test to date.
It's a battle that would have undeniable intrigue even if you left it at that. But this is a long-standing rivalry that came to a head at UFC 178 when the two took part in one of the more infamous brawls outside of the Octagon:
Cormier is ready:
I wore this tee shirt for the first time today! It is OFFICIALLY TIME to #BreakBones #DCGrinds @cfAthletic #ufc178 http://t.co/CnRnqmxvhW
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) July 24, 2014
Jones is ready:
This is the fight I wanted in the first place. Nothing like fresh meat #Champion2014
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) July 24, 2014
Taking place just three days into the new year, it's still easy to say there may not be a more anticipated fight in all of 2015.
UFC 182 Main Card Predictions
| Matchup | Weight class | Prediction |
| Jon Jones (c) vs. Daniel Cormier | Light Heavyweight | Jones (Unanimous Decision) |
| Donald Cerrone vs. Myles Jury | Lightweight | Cerrone (Unanimous Decision) |
| Brad Tavares vs. Nate Marquardt | Middleweight | Tavares (3rd Round KO) |
| Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Louis Gaudinot | Flyweight | Horiguchi (2nd Round KO) |
| Hector Lombard vs. Josh Burkman | Welterweight | Lombard (1st Round KO) |
The Title Fight
Cormier's prowess in the wrestling game is well-known, and if he can take this fight to the canvas, he'll have a good chance of pulling off the upset
There's only one problem.
Taking Jones down has proved to be nearly impossible. "Bones" has a takedown defense of 97 percent, per FightMetric.com, and his daunting blend of length and athleticism helps him keep opponents at bay in an absolutely clinical fashion.
Fightnomics' Reed Kuhn pointed out Jones' massive advantage in reach:
Jon Jones (84.5") vs Daniel Cormier (72.5") will be the 3rd longest reach differential in UFC history #UFC182 More: http://t.co/q9ptm9QNl1
— Fightnomics Reed (@Fightnomics) December 22, 2014
Alexander Gustafsson, one of the only people on the planet who knows what it takes to make the champ uncomfortable, believes that will be the difference in the fight.
“Both are great athletes and it’s going to be a tough fight for sure," he told UFC.com's Thomas Gerbasi. "But Jones has his height and reach advantage over DC, so I think that will be the key thing in this fight. I think Jones by decision.”
How will the main event play out?
While Cormier is known for his wrestling and strength, he also boasts the kind of quickness and athletic ability to present plenty of problems for Jones. He's undeniably dangerous, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him win a round as he tries to maul Jones.
But ultimately, there's no one better at keeping their distance than the 27-year-old. He showed some chinks in the armor against Gustafsson, but it's hard to imagine the 6'4" physical specimen allowing the 5'11" challenger to get close enough to do enough damage or score a takedown.
Jones will be able to patiently hold off DC with an array of jabs and kicks, slowly wearing him down and leaving MGM Grand with another convincing victory.
