Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier Fight Breakdown & Video Simulation
We are now just days away from seeing Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier at UFC 182, with all the marbles for the winner. The light-heavyweight belt will go to the winner of the feud this Saturday (January 3rd, 2015) but they’ll also get the spoils of beating the best current 205-pounder at this current time.
Make no bones about it, this is a very close fight, at least on paper. Both undefeated, both masters in their craft and neither has ever really been in significant trouble. Without further ado, the LowKickMMA UFC 182 Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier fight breakdown, with an added bonus….
Striking
Jon Jones has some of the most dangerous and mixed up striking in the modern game. The tall and wiry frame “Bones” possesses along with his adverse skill set make him a nightmare for smaller men in the past, but he may be lacking in power compared to Cormier. A much more wrestling based style for “DC” but with it comes a bang behind his hooks.
A 12″ reach advantage is just insane, but Cormier has dealt with similar at heavyweight with guys like Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva. On paper it’s quite hard to pick against a guy like Jones in the striking department, even with such an elite athlete across the octagon from him. I’m giving the edge to “Bones” at 60-40
Takedowns
Here is Daniel Cormier’s bread and butter, and don’t be fooled by the fact that he hasn’t gone there much in the UFC. Six from 9 takedowns for the All-American & Olympian, and he has never been put on his butt. Jones has a 97% takedown defense rate, and has only ever been taken down by Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165.
The champion has 30 successful takedowns from 59, but this department is all about physicality for me. Cormier’s dense physique and low centre of gravity actually gives him a pretty decent edge here, and it’s backed up by the fact he tossed Josh Barnett around like a rag doll back in Strikeforce, as well as many others. Don’t be surprised if “DC” wants this fight on the mat early, and he’ll have a 60-40 advantage as a former Olympian
Submissions
Jones has a black belt in Gaidojitsu, and a blue in BJJ, in comparison to Cormier’s brown in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Both guys have shown they like to beat opponents down and then finish with a nasty choke or armbar, but I wouldn’t describe this category as their strongest weapon. Jones has six submissions from 20 wins, and Cormier four from 15.
As far as defense goes, that’s a no brainer. Jones’ arms may have made him a target to Vitor Belfort when they fought at UFC 152, but the finish never came. He can also use those long limbs to get better position on sweeps and guard passing, although you could argue that “DC” gets an advantage from his explosiveness on the mat.
All in all, I’m gonna call 50-50 on the subs
So it’s gonna be an absolutely huge night for fight fans come Saturday, I hope you enjoyed the Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier hype train, and I’ve been happy to cover it for all our great members. Happy New Year, and check out the Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier video simulation below!
