Top contenders Gustafsson, Teixeira predict UFC 210's Comier-Johnson title rematch

The UFC light heavyweight championship will be up for grabs in Saturday’s UFC 210 main event when champion Daniel Cormier rematches Anthony Johnson for the gold. Naturally, the outcome of the fight will have great impact on the future of the weight class.

Cormier (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Johnson (22-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) fought once before at UFC 187 in May 2015. “DC” claimed the then-vacant belt by third-round submission, and nearly two years later the pair will run it back in the UFC 210 pay-per-view headliner following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.

Although oddsmakers have Cormier, No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light heavyweight rankings, as the favorite, the crippling knockout power of No. 3-ranked Johnson is a great equalizer that gives him the opportunity to win a fight at any time.

No. 6-ranked contender Glover Teixeira (26-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) knows that as well as anyone. He was knocked out by Johnson in just 13 seconds at UFC 202 in August. He’s felt the power of “Rumble,” and the Brazilian said he thinks that will lead to a new champion at UFC 210.

“It’s a hard fight to predict,” Teixeira told reporters at a recent UFC news conference in Sweden. “‘DC’ knows the way (to win), and Johnson can finish a fight at any time. … Johnson will get him this time.”

No. 7-ranked Alexander Gustafsson (17-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC), who meets Teixeira in the main event of May’s UFC Fight Night 109 card in Stockholm, Sweden, owns the unique perspective of having shared the octagon with both Cormier and Johnson during his career.

“The Mauler” nearly took the 205-pound title from Cormier at UFC 192 in October 2015, but came up just short by split decision. His fight with Johnson was not nearly as competitive – he suffered a first-round knockout loss at UFC on FOX 14 in January 2015.

Gustafsson’s analysis of the upcoming title fight not surprisingly mentions Johnson’s ability to stop the fight with strikes. But Gustafsson said Cormier’s pace and durability will ultimately prove too much and the outcome will be similar to that of the first fight.

“If one of those hands lands on ‘DC,’ it’s going to be a tough night,” Johnson said. “But at the same time, with Anthony, you’ve seen him dominate and you’ve seen him lose and get finished. What I know with ‘DC’ is he’s a tough guy. It doesn’t matter what you throw at him, what you give him in the fight, he just keeps coming forward. ‘DC’ will keep his belt that night, but it’s a hard fight to predict.”

For more on UFC 210, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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