Cormier Edges Gustafsson In Back-And-Forth Thriller
Winding back the clock to his instant classic encounter with Jones, Gustafsson succeeded in eliminating any lingering memories of his February hometown mauling at the hands of Anthony Johnson. Using his reach, deep repertoire of strikes and pure intestinal fortitude the Swede took the fight to the champion like no-one has done before, and for periods of the fight looked more than capable of capturing the title. Unfortunately for him however Cormier wasn’t about to let that happen. Digging deep as only the quintessential gritty wrestler can, Cormier kept the pressure on Gustafsson regardless of the punishment being absorbed, and tortured the challenger with flurries of brutal short uppercuts from the clinch.
Twenty five punishing minutes of relentless action soon wore visibly on the faces of both warriors, but it was Cormier who proved himself the better man in the final round as he remained intent on scoring despite all the damage incurred. It was a valiant effort once again from Gustafsson, but ‘The Mauler’ might have to accept his position as one of the sport’s great ‘nearly men’.
Bader Finally Proves Contender Status
Ryan Bader’s long wait for a title shot might be over as he spoiled Rashad Evans’ homecoming with a thoroughly deserved decision victory. Looking vastly improved on the feet, and considerably faster than his aged opponent, Bader frequently beat Evans to the punch and never let up enough to offer ‘Suga’ a decent opportunity to get back into the fight. Competing for the first time in over two years, Evans did find success late on with a number of surges against the cage, but never looked comfortable in his long-awaited return. Back to the drawing board for the Blackzilian member, while Bader’s stock only rises with the biggest win of his career so far.
Gameplan Key As Magomedov Overcomes Jordan
It wasn’t pretty, but AKA’s Ruslan Magomedov had the perfect plan to neutralise the jarring power and wrestling of Shawn Jordan. Snapping sudden and unique kicks to the head and body, the Dagestan-native kept Jordan tentative throughout the duration of their three-round bout. An apparent rib injury early in the first only compounded a bad night for Jordan, who also failed to take his adversary down to the mat. Magomedov remains undefeated inside the Octagon, and despite his crowd repelling style, could soon find himself competing against the best in the UFC’s shallow heavyweight division.
Benavidez Too Tricky For Returning Bagautinov
Unpredictable offense and constant movement secured a ninth Octagon victory for perennial flyweight contender Joseph Benavidez as he overcame a determined Ali Bagautinov to secure a unanimous decision victory. Competing for the first time since his failed title bid and subsequent suspension for blood doping, Bagautinov looked to make up for lost time, but his stiff style proved a little too one-dimensional for his crafty opponent who repeatedly scored throughout the duel with multi-level and limbed combinations.
Valiant Eye Outpointed By TUF Alum Peña
Despite showing marked improvements, particularly in her grappling, Jessica Eye once again fell short, this time to TUF winner, and potential WMMA superstar Julianna Peña. Ably handling her opponent’s aggression, Peña showed considerable improvements of her own as she dominated on the ground, coming extremely close to a submission stoppage as the fight drew to a close. A post fight Rousey call-out revealed the Venasquaian’s intentions, but she’s likely still a few fights away from such a challenge.
UFC 192 Main Card Results:
Women’s Bantamweight
Julianna Peña def Jessica Eye via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27*)
Flyweight
Joseph Benavidez def Ali Bagautinov via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Heavyweight
Ruslan Magomedov def Shawn Jordan via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Light Heavyweight
Ryan Bader def Rashad Evans via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Light Heavyweight Championship
Daniel Cormier © def Alexander Gustafsson via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46)
*Eye had a point deducted for a grounded knee.
Event Awards:
Best Fight: Cormier vs. Gustafsson
Best Finish: N/A
MVP: Daniel Cormier
What did you think of UFC 192? Leave your comments and analysis in the comments section below!
