Monday Morning Hangover: What's next for Daniel Cormier after UFC 182 heartbreak?

Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone as UFC 182 blew the roof off the MGM Grand Garden Arena this past weekend (Sat. Jan. 3, 2015) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Myles Jury, who suffered his first professional mixed martial arts (MMA) loss at the hands ... and feet, of Donald Cerrone (video). And Josh Burkman, who saw his impressive win streak -- which carried over from World Series of Fighting (WSOF) -- after losing to Hector Lombard via unanimous decision (highlights).

But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now 48 hours removed from the show?

Daniel Cormier.

The previously undefeated (15-1, 4-1 UFC) superstar looked to end the long and dominant reign of current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, in a much-anticipated title fight that had combat fans salivating at the mouth.

In doing so, not only would "DC" dethrone "Bones," but complete an MMA journey that began under the Strikeforce banner five years ago by capturing his first-ever UFC title, proving once and for all that he truly is the best light heavyweight on the planet.

But after all the bad blood, all the back-and-forth verbal sparring and pre-fight scuffles, Cormier came up just short of completing his task against the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet.

Early on, the former Olympian held his ground, pushed the pace and went toe-to-toe against his bitter rival on the feet. But, to the surprise of many, Cormier was unable to impose his Olympic-level wrestling pedigree against his bitter rival.

Full video highlights here.

It's rather ironic, really, considering the rivalry began from Jon's claims that he could easily take him down during their first-ever conversation together.

Not only did Jones deliver on his promise, but he managed to take down the wrestling powerhouse on more than one occasion. But, it's not that surprising, if you know "Bones," because it's what he does. He adapts to the situation, his foe, and shines when the odds are seemingly stacked against him.

He's only done it his entire career.

While the win further cemented Jon's place in UFC history, the loss was a crushing blow to Cormier, the man many believed would be the one to "Break Bones." It won't necessarily ruin the talented fighter, but it will knock him down a few pegs on the 205-pound ladder.

And he'll have to win a few fights before he can climb back to another title shot, as fans and UFC officials aren't calling for an immediate rematch as was the case after Alexander Gustafsson's tussle with Jones.

He has the talent, time, and skill to earn himself another crack at his bitter rival, and he's determined to do it, too.

A fight -- and win -- against the loser of the upcoming title between the aforementioned Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Johnson -- which goes down on Jan 24, 2015 at UFC on FOX 14 -- would get him back to the big fight, sooner, rather than later.