Daniel Cormier Won’t Let UFC 182 Loss Ruin Him
Last night’s (January 3, 2015) UFC 182 pay-per-view from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, featured one of the most hyped up fights of all time, a grudge match between reigning light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones and former Olympian Daniel “DC” Cormier.
Prior to the fight, Cormier was being called Jones’ biggest test, and the man that would finally dethrone the king. Many even picked “DC” to win last night, but they were highly mistaken.
Jones was able to prove why he is the best, practically dominating Cormier to earn a unanimous decision victory that saw him win every round but one. “Bones” was the much taller fighter, so Cormier’s game plan was to get in close and use his wrestling to land big shots on the champion.
Most of the fight did take place in the clinch, but surprisingly Jones beat “DC” at his own game and even took down the decorated wrestler. Cormier had some early success, but ultimately he wasn’t able to get the job done. However, a very disappointed “DC” spoke up at the post-fight press conference to state that this loss will not ruin him:
“This is not going to ruin me. One way or the other, I’m going to stand across the cage from that man again. And I believe, just as I did tonight, I’ll take the fight to him again, I guess.”
Jones wasn’t as humble in victory as Cormier was in defeat, noting that the rivalry is still there and he still doesn’t respect the AKA product:
“I know if he would have won, he would have been up here, talking all types of trash,” Jones said. “So I don’t feel sorry for him. This is combat.”
Despite the champion not showing much respect, “DC” knew he wasn’t the better man last night and showed respect to “Bones”:
“I worked so hard to try to become a champion at the highest level for a very long time, and it hasn’t really worked out for me,” Cormier said. “This one is tough. I truly believe I can get the job done. I thought I could get the job done. As we were fighting, it was still feeling pretty good.
“I can’t say enough about his mentality inside that octagon. I’ve shared that cage with some very, very strong men, some very big men – superheroes. But I can’t say enough about his grit and determination.”
Despite the heartbreaking loss, it’s clear that Cormier is still one of the top light heavyweights in the world. That being said, “DC” could find himself right in line for a rematch with Jones with a few quality wins.
Who would you like to see Cormier take on next in his quest back up the rankings?
