UFC 182: Jon Jones defeats Daniel Cormier in eighth title defense
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones secured his eighth straight title defense at UFC 182, finishing 49-46 on all three judges' scorecards.
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones successfully defended his title in the main event of UFC 182 Saturday, defeating challenger Daniel Cormier by unanimous decision.
Jones (21-1) earned a 49-46 advantage on all three judges' scorecards to serve Cormier (15-1) with his first loss. It was the eighth straight successful defense of the light heavyweight championship for Jones, who found himself in a close matchup early but gained steam as the match drew to a close.
The two fighters exchanged blows for much of the first round, with Jones scoring a takedown. Cormier overcame Jones' length late in the round, pulling off some short-range shots. Jones took it to the challenger early in the second round but Cormier was able to battle back, leaving the match close after two rounds. Jones received a warning from the referee in the third round after an apparent eye poke, and neither fighter was able to complete a takedown soon after the warning, though both landed several shots before the end of the round.
The champion took charge early in the fourth, landing a couple big blows and knocking Cormier to the ground briefly. He then followed up the barrage with a takedown, his second of the fight, and continued to land shots through the rest of the penultimate round, making it the first round of the fight with a clear winner. Needing an impressive closing round to make his case, Cormier couldn't find the breakthrough shot or hold to secure the win and the championship.
Jones parlayed his height and reach advantage into the victory, continuously avoiding the challenger's takedown attempts. Cormier appeared to land a blow on referee Herb Dean as the two fighters exchanged punches in the closing seconds.
Also on the main card for UFC 182, Donald Cerrone (26-6) def. Myles Jury (15-1) via unanimous decision, Brad Tavares (13-4) def. Nate Marquardt (36-14-2) via unanimous decision, Kyoji Horiguchi (15-1) def. Louis Gaudinot (7-4) via unanimous decision and Hector Lombard (35-4-1) def. Josh Burkman (27-11) via unanimous decision.
On the preliminary card, Paul Felder (10-0) def. Danny Castillo (17-8) via second-round knockout, Cody Garbrandt (6-0) def. Marcus Brimage (7-4) via third-round TKO, Shawn Jordan (17-6) def. Jared Cannonier (7-1) via first-round knockout, Evan Dunham (15-6) def. Rodrigo Damm (12-9) via unanimous decision, Omari Akhmedov (14-2) def. Mats Nilsson (11-4-1) via unanimous decision and Marion Reneau (5-1) def. Alexis Dufresne (5-2) via unanimous decision.
