The fight we have all been waiting for is finally here!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) looks to kick off 2015 with a bang this evening (Sat., Jan. 3, 2015) as the promotion returns to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the UFC 182: "Jones vs Cormier" pay-per-view (PPV) event live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Catch all the action LIVE beginning with the online "Prelims" at 7 p.m. ET (for up-to-date UFC 182 results click here).
Below is everything you need to know to stay on top of UFC's first card of the year:
Who: Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title
What: UFC 182
When: Sat., Jan. 3, 2015, beginning at 7 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
How To Watch: Main card at 10 p.m ET on PPV; FOX Sports 1 "Prelims" under card at 8 p.m ET; and UFC Fight Pass early "Prelims" at 7 p.m. ET.
Live UFC 182 results: Play-by-play coverage stream right here
Why It Matters: From a pure sport perspective, any Jon Jones fight is monumental in its own right. Considering "Bones" may in fact be the greatest martial artist in history, every fight he competes in is an absolute must-watch. The UFC champion has made a career out of making future Hall of Famers look like mediocre fighters. With his aura of invincibility growing with each successive win, it seems less and less likely Jones will lose in his UFC career. That is what makes tonight's fight against Daniel Cormier so special, as so many believe, including "DC" himself, that the former Olympic wrestler could pull off the monumental upset victory. With a bitter rivalry to even further increase the already unfathomable anticipation, Jones vs. Cormier could potentially be the biggest fight in UFC history.
What's Hot: You already know that 99-percent of the focus on the UFC 182 card has been on the main event title fight, so I am going to discuss the outstanding co-main event here. With a combined 11 fight winning streak to their credit, lightweights Donald Cerrone and Myles Jury are almost guaranteed to put on a show in tonight's co-headlining feature. As both men vie for a shot at UFC gold in the crowded 155-pound division, "Cowboy" and "Fury" know that an uninspiring victory won't do much for their careers. With that being said, it is safe to say Cerrone will be looking for his 16th career Zuffa post-fight bonus tonight.
What's Not: The "Prelims" are not exactly outstanding by any means. With very little name value in the evening's first six fights, UFC is apparently hoping the main event sells the PPV itself. At this point, it is safe to say that "Prelims" headliner Danny Castillo is not going to rake in thousands of buys for UFC in his 20th fight for the promotion.
New Blood:
-- Marion Reneau (vs. Alexis Dufresne): This Brazilian "Bruiser" is 4-1 in her mixed martial arts (MMA) career with three (technical) knockouts and one submission victory to her credit. Reneau is yet another RFA veteran, and she most recently defeated three-sport athlete Maureen Riordan.
-- Jared Cannonier (vs. Shawn Jordan): Jared Cannonier has racked up seven straight victories to kick off his career, with three (technical) knockouts and three submission victories to his credit. The undefeated Alaska native has yet to fight anyone of worth just yet.
-- Cody Garbrandt (vs. Marcus Brimage): Cody Garbrandt comes into UFC with a ton of hype behind him as the 5-0 Team Alpha Male bantamweight has knocked out every opponent he has faced in his professional career. Garbrandt has yet to face off against any name competition as he competed in the regional MMA circuit for the entirety of his professional career.
Original Card vs Actual Card:
Unbelievably, there was not a single injury that changed a fight on this card, but a visa issue did change the "Prelims" main event.
Dagestani wrecking machine Rustam Khabilov was hoping to return to the Octagon to take on Danny Castillo this evening, but alleged visa problems forced him off the card, and he was replaced by Paul Felder.
The only other change on this card was UFC moving the women's bantamweight title fight between Ronda Rousey and Cat Zingano to UFC 184 after briefly announcing the fight would co-main event UFC 182.
Decent.
While casual fans will likely skip the "Prelims" altogether in favor of the outstanding main card, hardcores will bare witness to several intriguing match ups as well as a few exciting prospects making their UFC debuts.
With the heavyweight division always looking for new talent, it will be interesting to see what undefeated Jared Cannonier brings to the table against UFC veteran Shawn Jordan.
My fighter to watch for the UFC 182 "Prelims" is undoubtedly Cody Garbrandt. A ferocious striking attack that has seen him dispatch of all five of his opponents, Garbrandt could make a ton of noise by defeating Marcus Brimage this weekend. If you recall, Brimage was the sacrificial lamb for Conor McGregor's UFC debut back in 2013. Could this be the case again in 2015?
Who Needs a Win Badly: This portion is reserved for fighters who could be fighting for their jobs tonight, rather than contenders or title challengers needing victory. Let's take a look at those who need to pull it together:
-- Rodrigo Damm (vs. Evan Dunham): It is quite unbelievable that Damm is still employed by UFC at this point in his career. Boasting a mediocre 3-3 UFC record, Damm has gone 4-7 in his last eleven bouts. Prior to his Octagon debut, Damm had lost four of five, and yet somehow was brought over in the Strikeforce fold. Needless to say, Damm must win tonight in order to keep his job.
-- Evan Dunham (vs. Rodrigo Damm): UFC is making a habit of matching up fighters in a "win or go home" scenario. Once lauded as the next big thing in UFC, Evan Dunham has crashed and burned since winning four straight fights to start his UFC career. Since then, Dunham has gone 3-6, including three straight losses in a row. It seems UFC is holding out hope that Dunham will turn his career around and regain the flash of brilliance he had back in 2009-2010. Tonight will be his last chance to prove he still has what it takes.
-- Brad Tavares (vs. Nate Marquardt): After winning five straight UFC fights, Tavares is currently riding a two-fight skid against top 15 competition. While a three-fight losing streak could garner Tavares a pink slip, I think a loss tonight would still see him earn one more chance inside the Octagon.
Interest Level: 8/10
This card really has that epic feel to it, and with potentially the biggest title fight in MMA history set for the main event, I could not be more excited. I truly cannot wait to see if Cormier has what it takes to solve the enigma that is Jon Jones, or whether the champion dominates another seemingly indomitable foe.
Not only is the main event outstanding, but the main card is chock full of exciting and consequential match ups. While the flyweight bout between Kyoji Horiguchi and Louis Gaudinot is flying under the radar, it is sure to deliver in terms of action. Not to mention a win for Horiguchi could potentially catapult the Japanese native into title contention.
Did I also mention Hector Lombard and his patented violence is also on the card?
Amazing.
This is a great card fight fans, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!
Check out the full UFC 182: "Jones vs Cormier" fight card below:
UFC 182 PPV Main Event:
205 lbs.: UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier
UFC 182 PPV Main Card (10 p.m. ET):
155 lbs.: Donald Cerrone vs. Myles Jury
185 lbs.: Nate Marquardt vs. Brad Tavares
125 lbs.: Louis Gaudinot vs. Kyoji Horiguchi
170 lbs.: Hector Lombard vs. Josh BurkmanUFC 182 FOX Sports 1 Prelims (8 p.m. ET):
155 lbs.: Danny Castillo vs. Paul Felder
135 lbs.: Marcus Brimage vs. Cody Garbrandt
265 lbs.: Shawn Jordan vs. Jared Cannonier
155 lbs.: Evan Dunham vs. Rodrigo DammUFC 182 Fight Pass Prelims (7 p.m. ET):
170 lbs.: Omari Akhmedov vs. Mats Nilsson
135 lbs.: Alexis Dufresne vs. Marion Reneau
For all the UFC 182 news that's fit to print check out our "Jones vs. Cormier" story archive here.