UFC 182 Fight Card: Predictions You Can Take to the Bank

A little more than three months after their originally scheduled bout fell through, a main-event title fight between the light heavyweight champ and the undefeated challenger Daniel Cormier will finally come to fruition at UFC 182 on Saturday.

Arguably the most anticipated match in the division's history, the duo have captivated MMA fans with their heated feud that spawned from what Cormier called an insult from Jon Jones during their first encounter at UFC 121 in 2010.

With Jones, Cormier and the remainder of the fighters on the UFC 182 lineup set to hit the scales at the event's weigh-in in mere hours, the time to make last-second predictions is slipping away.

Here are five UFC 182 predictions you can take to the bank.

Josh Burkman Will Get KO'd for the First Time in His 12-Year Career

Although he certainly earned his shot to compete against the UFC's deep stable of welterweights, Burkman will have his hands full in the first fight on the main card when he tangles with sixth-ranked Hector Lombard.

Not long after Burkman gets introduced for his first UFC bout since 2008, the former The Ultimate Fighter contestant will face arguably the most avoided man in the division—maybe in the entire organization—in Lombard. And those unfamiliar with the Cuban-born, former Olympic judoka should know that he's avoided for many valid reasons.

A ferocious striker with grappling chops to match, Lombard will prove that he's simply too much for the former World Series of Fighting welterweight title challenger.

Burkman's Achilles' heel has been submission defense (six of his 10 career losses came by submission), but Lombard has only submitted one of his last 14 opponents. Conversely, in that same span, Lombard has won eight times via KO/TKO, including twice in his last four bouts. 

Burkman may escape the first round with his consciousness, but he won't make it an entire 15 minutes in the Octagon with the heavy-handed Lombard, who will ultimately hand Burkman his first KO loss in 38 pro fights.

Cormier Will Outwrestle Jones

It doesn't always unfold this way, but in this case a battle of two of the sport's most effective wrestlers will be won by the fighter with the better wrestling credentials, Cormier.

Granted, Jones, a funky wrestler who won a JUCO title at Iowa Central Community College in 2006, has surrendered just one takedown in his storied 21-fight career, stuffing the shots of several former Division I wrestlers along the way. Still, Jones can't say he's faced a wrestler the caliber of Cormier, a former NCAA Division I finalist and a two-time former Olympian in freestyle wrestling.

Even without the element of surprise, expect the relentless Cormier—who will be faced with a 12-inch reach disadvantage—to close the distance, control the clinches and use his superior wrestling pedigree to spend large stretches of this match in the top position.

Similar to his match with respected catch wrestler Josh Barnett, which was his only other title fight that went five rounds, Cormier will get more aggressive and more effective with his wrestling as the fight wears on.

Jones has seemingly mastered the art of functional wrestling for MMA, and with the exception of allowing a surprising takedown against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, Bones has looked flawless in that department.

However, even though he clearly possesses the talent and the grit needed to shut down the wrestling games of Ryan Bader, Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen, Jones will finally meet his superior in the realm of MMA wrestling on Saturday.

Cerrone-Jury Will Give Jones-Cormier a Run for 'Fight of the Night' Honors

It's safe to say that unbeaten lightweight Myles Jury is long overdue to garner a post-fight honor from the UFC, particularly a "Fight of the Night" bonus.

While he didn't reap the benefits of the bonus system in his last two bouts against legendary brawlers Takanori Gomi and Diego Sanchez, Jury will get yet another crack at a lightweight who has a track record of taking home massive bonus checks on Saturday.

The eighth-ranked Jury will put his 15-fight winning streak on the line in the co-main event for UFC 182 when he faces another surging fighter who's dangerous on his feet and on the ground in fourth-ranked Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone.

Despite the fact that Cerrone has pocketed post-fight bonuses in four of his last five fights, Cowboy hasn't received a "Fight of the Night" bonus since storming back to KO former teammate Melvin Guillard at UFC 150 in 2012.

It would also prove a safe bet to assume that Jury and Cerrone won't go the distance in this one. Jury has amassed seven KO's and five submissions in his career, while Cerrone has totaled 15 submissions and four KO's.

Nate Marquardt Will Break Back into the Top 15 at 185 Pounds

As unpredictable as he seems, former UFC middleweight title challenger Marquardt rarely loses a fight to a foe who's not ranked in the top 10 in his weight division.

On the other hand, Marquardt's opponent at UFC 182, 15th-ranked Brad Tavares, has only faced one top-10 fighter in sixth-ranked Yoel Romero. That was a test he failed to pass at UFC on Fox 11 in April.

Although Marquardt obviously possesses a skill set that's unlike Romero's, the 35-year-old Colorado native will still outmatch Tavares in nearly every category—except the wrestling department.

With more advanced striking and Brazilian jiu-jitsu abilities, Marquardt will score his second straight win over a top-15 UFC foe (James Te Huna was ranked 14th at light heavyweight heading into Marquardt's last fight) on Saturday.

A decision win will likely allow Marquardt to replace Tavares at No. 15 on the UFC's list of ranked middleweights. A submission or KO, on the other hand, would perhaps help Marquardt leapfrog the likes of Mark Munoz (No. 14) or Tim Boetsch (No. 13).

Cormier Will Shock the World and Dethrone Jones

For six years—with the exception of his unforgettable clash with Gustafsson—Jones has looked virtually unbeatable against the UFC's best 205-pounders.

Unfortunately for Bones, his reign as the sport's pound-for-pound linchpin will come to a halt when he faces the soon-to-be-36-year-old Cormier, a man who will give up 12 inches in reach and will stand five inches shorter than him.

Both men will surely enter the Octagon confident and emotionally charged in this culmination of a long and drawn-out war of words. But like he did against Patrick Cummins at UFC 170, Cormier will prove that his days of letting his emotions get the best of him are long gone.

In what may prove to be his only shot at UFC gold, Cormier will use the blueprint that failed Chael Sonnen against Jones and attempt to pressure the Jackson's MMA stalwart from bell to bell. Cormier, who has the rare cardio needed to do so, plans to nullify Jones' unpredictable and potent striking game by perpetually staying in his face and mixing lateral movement with plenty of wrestling and dirty boxing.

Since he didn't spend much time on the ground following the only takedown he ever surrendered in his career, it's unclear how effective Jones' Brazilian jiu-jitsu and his striking off his back will be. One thing that remains evident, however, is Cormier's ability to control, deal damage and advance position once he gets on top.

He won't come out telegraphing shots from a distance, but look for Cormier to employ his game plan of relentlessly pressuring Jones from the opening horn until the fight's final bell. As long as he doesn't deviate from what made him a legitimate threat to Jones' belt, expect Cormier—like Gustafsson—to threaten to finish Jones at points in the fight.

Jones managed to defend his belt seven times, which is makes him the most prolific light heavyweight champ in UFC history. And until another once-in-lifetime fighter like him comes around, Bones will always be remembered as that. But after Saturday, Cormier will be immortalized as the man who took down the king.