Traditionally stacked from the prelims all the way to the main event, the UFC’s Memorial Day weekend card featured a number of mouthwatering fights that figured to forever change the landscape of their respective weight classes. With multiple belts and title shots on the line at UFC 187, who rose to take advantage of opportunity, and who conversely crumbled in the face of theirs?
DC Fulfils His Destiny
Taking full advantage of his second title opportunity in the space of just five months, former Strikeforce heavyweight standout Daniel Cormier used his sizable ground advantage to overwhelm number one contender Anthony Johnson. Starting with his trademark striking blitzes, Johnson found initial success on the feet, flooring Cormier with his first flurry, But ‘DC’ would weather this storm, grinding Johnson down against the fence before forcing the fight to the mat. ‘Rumble’ was powerless to shift his heavier opponent and was quickly drained of all of his energy before finally surrendering thanks to a rear naked choke midway through the third frame.
The shadow of Jon Jones looms large over the light heavyweight division. Cormier (Now 16-1, 5-1 UFC) may have been victorious and may now be called champion, but he did little to suggest that he can offer the former champion anything different to what we saw back in January.
Weidman Wrecks Belfort
Finally colliding after almost eighteen months of delay, Chris Weidman proved once and for all that he is a legitimate pound-for-pound great as he quickly savaged rival Vitor Belfort. Choosing to engage on the feet, Weidman quickly discovered that the aging Brazilian still possesses fight-ending capabilities as he swarmed the champion with a flurry of vicious short shots against the cage. Weidman recovered however and managed to secure the takedown straight into side control. On the ground Belfort offered little-to-no resistance, giving ‘The All-American’ his back and eventually ending on the wrong side of a full mount. The champion was merciless, blasting Belfort with relentless ground and pound, leaving Herb Dean little choice but to stop the fight just three minutes into the first round.
With three title defenses, all against tough Brazilian opposition, Weidman (Now 13-0, 9-0 UFC) has finally established himself as a dominant force at 185 pounds. A new challenger in the form of Luke Rockhold represents a welcome, but tough test for the undefeated champion.
For Belfort the future is uncertain. The fighter looked a shell of his rampant former self, now deprived of the testosterone replacement therapy. Despite all the controversy over the year, the Brazilian will still go down as a true legend of the sport, but at 38 his title contention days are all but finished.
‘Cowboy’ Overwhelms Last-Minute Makdessi
Initially scheduled to face unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title eliminator, hyperactive lightweight fan favourite Donald Cerrone’s spot on the card was saved when Canadian kickboxer John Makdessi stepped up on short notice. Unfortunately for the plucky Makdessi this might not have been a great idea as Cerrone dominated proceedings before forcing a second round stoppage. Take nothing away from Makdessi; he found some success with his shots in the first round, but Cerrone wasn’t to be denied as he found repeated success with a range of kicks to the leg and head. A final head-kick broke Makdessi’s jaw with seconds to go in the second frame, leaving the fighter no choice but to withdraw from the bout. A title showdown with the newly crowned Rafael dos Anjos almost surely awaits Cerrone after this latest victory.
Arlovski Winds Back The Clock, Shocks Browne
The heavyweight division has a new, but familiar contender after Andrei Arlovski shocked the world by finishing his much-fancied opponent Travis Browne in one of the best rounds of the year so far. Surging forward, the two big men slugged it out toe-to-toe before Arlovski caught Browne with a slick backfist and right hook combination. Stunned, Browne demonstrated amazing resolve, and almost pulled off an unlikely comeback when he floored ‘The Pitbull’ with shots of his own. Arlovski recovered however and continued to brutalise his opponent before the referee waved the fight off with twenty seconds of the first round remaining.
Benavidez Blasts Back Into Contention
Once again proving that he’s the best flyweight not named Demetrious Johnson, Joseph Benavidez outworked John Moraga over the duration of their 15-minute encounter to earn a unanimous decision verdict. Evading the majority of his opponent’s strikes, Benavidez scored points through multiple takedowns and dominant positioning on the ground. Moraga was able to survive the guillotine submission attempts from his Team Alpha Male-based adversary, but failed to present anything else over than a fairly decent defensive game. Despite his only UFC defeats coming at the hands of the current champion, ‘Joe B-Wan Kenobi’ has done more than enough to warrant a rare third shot at the gold.
UFC 187 Main Card Results:
Light Heavyweight Championship
Daniel Cormier def Anthony Johnson via submission (rear naked choke) in round 3
Middleweight Championship
Chris Weidman © def Vitor Belfort via TKO (punches) in round 1
Lightweight
Donald Cerrone def John Makdessi via TKO (head kick) in round 2
Heavyweight
Andrei Arlovski def Travis Browne via TKO (punches) in round 1
Flyweight
Joseph Benavidez def John Moraga via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Event Awards:
Best Fight: Andrei Arlovski vs. Travis Browne
Best Finish: Daniel Cormier
MVP: Chris Weidman
What did you think of UFC 187? Leave your comments and analysis in the comments section below!
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