Cormier vs. Jones II

This is the official discussion thread for Cormier vs. Jones II. Let's see what you've got.

Good headliner. I'll take it.

It's actually a better headliner than what was originally scheduled.

It's funny, people were complaining about Nate/Conor II as the UFC 200 headliner originally then it was taken away and not given back, and everyone started clamoring for it to be reinstated. It's a classic "take away" sales technique.  

Very true. It also does go to show the power Conor McGregor has. Nobody cared about the Diaz rematch ... until Conor threatened - and followed through - on taking it away.

I like this fight better. 

* Edited at 04.27.2016, 12:00 PM ET *

I've never changed how I feel about how I feel about Jones. He's maybe the greatest MMA fighter of all time, but he's too ****y and a hypocrite about his outside-the-ring life. I saw one interview with him where he was humbled about what he had done wrong. He even went to a school where he spoke out about what he did. I gave him kudos for the, but every other time he gets in front of the camera, he acts like he's king **** of turd mountain. His reach and his ability is unmatched, close only be Anderson Silva. But his attitude sucks. I don't think Cormier has it in him to beat Jones, but I'd like to see him knock him right TF out!

200's main event brings us a very special rematch between two of the most elite Light Heavyweights MMA has ever seen. Neither Jon Jones nor Daniel Cormier have ever faced the same opponent twice up until July 9th, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Many people turn to Jon's reach as being the defining attribute that wins him fights. This is truly a huge advantage but what makes Jon great goes beyond simply reach. In the beginning, Jon used his Greco-Roman to control his opponents and various throws to get it to the ground. His astute ability to manipulate weight. His striking, although green in the beginning, was very creative. Spinning attacks, variable timing, and ariel threats constantly made Jones a terrifying opponent. It's great to have the physical attributes to gain a natural advantage but when someone like Jon understandshow to use it, their threat level multiplies. For example, Stefan Struve is very tall and has a huge reach but we've seen fighters close that distance and knock him out.

Even though Jon Jones is very dangerous and uses his reach well, we've seen him get hit regularly. Lyoto Machida, Alexander Gustaffson, Ovince Saint Preux, and Daniel Cormier have all found, in one way or another, a way to hit Jones. Gustaffson clearly had the most success but for reasons many people don't understand. At first glance, it may seem that Gustaffson did well because he is comparable in physical size to Jon. Yes, this did help but I think it had much more to do with his strategy as opposed to having a comparable reach.

What makes Frankie Edgar one of the best fighters on the planet is his ability to blend his wrestling with his striking. Edgar's striking and movement is the key to him defeating most of his opponents. Against Charles Olivera, a taller fighter with a big reach advantage, Frankie was constantly moving on the outside. Cutting left, cutting right, feinting strikes and takedowns. He moved in and out of the pocket, throwing combinations to the head and the body. This is exactly what Alexander Gustaffson tried to do against Jon Jones. Avoiding the clinch was key for both Frankie Edgar and Alex Gustaffson. It's not a coincidence. 


Even Firas Zahabi understands these tactics against taller fighters.

We don't know Daniel Cormier to be a tactical striker but he doesn't need to be. He does have good footwork and he knows how to throw punches. He has a gas tank but his initial approach against Jones was a flawed one.

Some see the first fight as DC being too "emotional" against Jones but that is the same ******* excuse people use every damn time their chosen fighter loses. Seriously, if you think that is the reason DC lost, you're crazy. Maybe there is a tiny little bit that made DC just want to go out and hit Jones but there was an obvious game plan behind every action DC did.

The constant forward pressure was to close distance therefore eliminating the reach advantage. The in-fighting from the clinch was what Daniel Cormier referenced from Jon's fight against Chael Sonnen. Then obviously from that clinch range, DC thought he would be able to use his Olympic Freestyle wrestling base to potentially get throws and take Jon down. This approach failed him. The attacks to the body, the constant fight against Jon's leverage in the clinch, the hand fighting, and the chase around the octagon proved to be a game plan that favored Jon Jones.

It is important DC doesn't follow or chase Jon around the cage this time. There were plenty of opportunities in the first fight for DC to back off, cut angles, and move laterally but that wasn't the style he thought would work. He felt like staying on the outside would allow Jon to read his patterns and attack with the reach. However, that's a risk Daniel needs to take in this rematch. DC can stay on the outside and not get hit but he must rely on movement and footwork. Step into the pocket, attack with combinations to the head and body, exit the pocket, cut angles from the outside and work feints to set up the next attack. DC will be able to set up his wrestling from the outside, too. Whether it's catching Jon's kicks, blasting in for a double, doing the Frankie Edgar knee-tap blitz, or finding something from within the clinch, Daniel Cormier needs to work more to set these attacks up.

There are many questions revolving around Jon Jones. His time off, the body building, and his last performance are the buzz for casual fans. This bleeds into conversations amongst hardcore fans, fighters and analysts too. These topics blindside reality and make us forget the intricacies of the fight game. For example, people (including Daniel Cormier) feel like if DC would've fought Jon Jones on his return fight, that he would've won. Of course, this is entirely possible but its important to understand the mindset around Jon Jones. He is a strategist and his cornermen are strategists. Therefore, they strategized for a year knowing Jon's opponent would be Daniel Cormier. Three weeks out, DC has to withdraw from the fight and Jon Jones has to prepare for an entirely different style in Ovince Saint-Preux. In any other situation, Jon wouldn't have accepted that fight because it doesn't follow what he's been training for. Since Jon was attacked by the UFC and fans for not accepting a fight against Chael Sonnen in similar circumstances in the past, he felt obligated to take a short notice fight against OSP. Look what happened. Jon didn't pull the trigger.

What's even worse, is that Jon's performance was nearly flawless. Despite OSP getting a few attacks off, the fight was a reserved but one-sided affair. Had it been Daniel Cormier that night, Jon would have implemented a very strategic game plan and therefore the performance would have been entirely different. Plus, DC brings a style that forces Jones to react, which OSP's style did not. However, we'll continually hear the same copy-and-pasted arguments about Jon lifting weights, having a different athleticism and ring rust.

It's undeniable though. Even if Jon retired today, he would go down in history as the greatest Light Heavyweight mixed martial artist and one of the best fighters ever. He continues to defy the odds and set new standards. No man is invincible though and Daniel Cormier is out to prove that at UFC 200.

* Edited at 06.27.2016, 12:11 AM ET *

JBJ and DC get the Celebrity Tales treatment

* Edited at 06.27.2016, 4:52 AM ET *

I was going to pick DC but I now am going for Jones. I just feel that no one can beat him in this day.

Hope like hell DC wins, like he said, Jon doesn't deserve this, which he doesn't imo. That being said I believe Jones destroys him again, the way he has everyone unfortunately.

I think I had the first fight 48-47,how is that destroying someone? He made Dan look bad when Dan quit but destroyed, nah and everyone? He destroyed Alexander too? We have a different definition of the word I guess.

Personally I'll probably pick Cormier in the rematch. He gassed and quit,then after the fight said that wouldn't happen again and it didn't. He did the opposite of quit against Alexander,he showed incredible heart and shined in the tough moments in the later rounds. Iirc I had him beating Jones going into the 4th where he fell apart, and considering how flat Jon looked in his last fight,I might go with Dan.

Also I think if Jones did come back against Cormier he would have lost in that form,but it's a moot point because it didnt happen and Jon should be back in the swing of things.

* Edited at 06.27.2016, 9:30 AM ET *

There was no way Cormier won a round in their first fight besides the second. Statistically that was the only one Cormier won. Every other round Jones did more. It wasn't a complete destruction but Cormier lost pretty handily and got outwrestled too, which was surprising. There are a lot of questions about Jones after the OSP fight though.

People recognize that Bones is dominant. They also recognize he's a complete ********* with no respect for anyone. **** him. I hope DC drops him on his neck the wrong way and he never walks again. Personally.

I don't like Jones either but to wish him being paralyzed is a little overboard I would say.

If Jon loses does he go to heavyweight?

Daniel Cormier is going to sit there and let Jon Jones kill him. Jones gets on top of DC and throws bombs after bombs after bombs. 200 unanswered strikes later, DC is clinically dead and the referee has to stop the fight due to 6-12 headbutts to the elbow.

Cormier said earlier he was willing to die to beat Jones and he literally does that. He takes a page out of Matt Hamill's book and does absolutely nothing and let Jon Jones drive himself to Dairy Queen.

As the world is in awe of DC's performance, they're still worried about his condition. As doctors are trying to revive DC with the scent of Popeyes chicken, Greg Jackson tells Jones to go get some fans. Jones walks up to DC's body, kneels down, and stares into DC's face and says, "Hey *****, are you still there?"

Y

Jones is fake and a hypocrite but he is the best.

This thread got kinda dark lol