UFC 192 Preview
With UFC 191 now in the rearview mirror, fight fans can look forward to UFC 192 which is set to go down on October 3, 2015 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from Houston, Texas.
The UFC has put together a stacked card for that weekend in Houston, and in the main event newly crowned light heavyweight champion and former Olympian Daniel “DC” Cormier will put his title on the line for the very first time against former title challenger, and Swedish star Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson.
“The Mauler” is currently the No. 2-ranked light heavyweight, but it should be noted that he has actually lost two out of his last three fights, and is also coming off of an absolutely brutal knockout loss to Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. The UFC has been criticized for handing Gus the title shot coming off of a loss and especially a loss of that magnitude, but the fight remains intriguing nonetheless.
Gustafsson is probably most known for his 2013 fight with former champion, and former pound-for-pound king Jon “Bones” Jones, who many consider to be the greatest fighter of all time period. “The Mauler” took Jones to the limit in a back and forth five-round brawl, and to this day, some still believe that Gustafsson actually won that bout.
This is an interesting fact to note, as DC also squared off with “Bones” last January, but unlike Gustafsson, Cormier lost a very clear cut one-sided decision to Jones. Not only that, but Jones and Gustafsson are both very tall, and both have very long reaches which is what gave “DC” trouble when he fought Jones.
So if “The Mauler” uses his reach, and fights a “Jones” fight, will he beat Cormier?
Well, it’s hard to say. First off, I think many would agree that Gustafsson probably isn’t on the level that Jones is, and also, I don’t think anyone in mixed martial arts uses their reach advantage better than Jones did.
Cormier is also used to being the smaller guy and having to overcome huge reaches. His decorated wrestling his always a factor, and the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product has been improving his striking and submission skills as well which has made him a more well-rounded champion.
It’s tough to call this fight, as many factors could play in, but it’s definitely a very interesting matchup from a stylistic standpoint.
Who do you see walking away with UFC gold next month?
