UFC 182: Jones and Cormier open 2015 with one of the most anticipated fights of recent times

Jones (left) and Cormier (right) take part in the main fight of UFC 182. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

When Jon Jones e Daniel Cormier Stepping into the octagon at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this Saturday (03) will be the end of a wait that lasted almost five months. Since August 4 last year, when the two fought during a promotional event in the same location, the duel for the light heavyweight belt has been one of the most anticipated fights by fans. With a lot of animosity and the expectation of a great confrontation, Jones and Cormier star in the main fight of UFC 182.

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After the incident in Vegas, the climate between the enemies only worsened. There were mutual threats after an interview on the North American channel ESPN and the two almost fought again on the “Media Day” stage and also behind the scenes of the event, in a confusion that also included the participation of members of both teams. Now, both the champion and the challenger will have the long-awaited chance to get the whole story straight in the place where fans really want to see it: within the eight sides of the cage.

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For Jones, the duel is the chance to increase his record to 21 losses and just one victory, in a highly contested disqualification against Matt Hamill, and extend his sequence of successful title defenses to eight, an absolute record among light heavyweights, which would leave him just two triumphs away from equaling the biggest mark in history that belongs to Anderson Silva.

Cormier also has his own brand to defend. Since he debuted in MMA, the wrestler Olympian doesn't know what it's like to lose, whether unquestionably or questionably. In total, there are 15 victories for DC, who competed most of the time as a heavyweight. Common camp intense training and the help of big names in MMA and wrestling, Cormier hopes to take the second belt to his team, the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), which already has the heavyweight champion Cain Velazquez.

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The truth is that if no one wants to lose under any circumstances, Jones and Cormier want this victory even more, as a setback against a rival and after months of such intense weather could have a devastating effect.

After a magical 2014, Cowboy faces new lightweight jewel

Cerrone (left) faces Jury (right) in the co-main fight of the night. Photo: Brandon Magnus/UFC

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Perhaps only behind Robbie Lawler e TJ Dillashaw, who emerged in their divisions and won the belts, Donald Cerrone can be seen as the big name in MMA in 2014. With four victories in the year, over Adriano Martins, Edson Barboza, Jim Miller and Eddie Alvarez, the “Cowboy” also earned three knockout and performance of the night bonuses. Now, at the beginning of 2015, Cerrone faces a tough challenge: undefeated lightweight prospect Myles Jury.

With 15 wins in 15 fights, Jury, just 26 years old, has six UFC triumphs, the last two over Diego Sanchez and Takanori Gomi. Owner of an aggressive style and a high-level ground game, “Fury”, as he is known, has caught the eye of analysts and is now preparing for the biggest test of his career. For these reasons, the confrontation between Cerrone and Jury is a strong candidate for the title of “Fight of the Night” and could define who comes very close to a title fight in the under-70 kg division.

The only Brazilian on the card, Damm fights for life and death

R. Damm is coming off two consecutive defeats. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC

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Filled with big names and fights that promise strong emotions, UFC 182, however, does not have a large Brazilian presence, with the TUF Brasil 1 veteran Rodrigo Damm the only Tupiniquim representative on the night. Against Evan dunham, Damm, who is coming off two consecutive defeats, is trying to survive in the biggest MMA organization on the planet. The same maxim applies to Dunham, who is in an even worse situation, coming off three consecutive defeats. The pair face off in the third fight of the night, the first on the preliminary card televised in the United States.