UFC 182: Grades for Every Main Card Fighter
UFC 182 served as the exclamation point to one of the promotion’s greatest rivalries ever, with Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier meeting in the main event on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
After months of banter and hostility, Jones got the nod over Cormier in a gritty affair that ended in a unanimous decision in the champion's favor. It was a great start to 2015—one that included wins by Hector Lombard and Donald Cerrone, among others.
Here are the grades for those who appeared on the main card.
Hector Lombard
1 of 10
At UFC 182, Lombard did what Lombard does, physically dominating Josh Burkman to the tune of a convincing decision win. His stand-up looked good; he threw in some grappling and looked like the best version of Showeather that we’ve ever seen.
His conditioning was also noteworthy in the bout, as his run as one of the best middleweights alive had been marred with a kill-or-be-killed approach to his own gas tank. If he couldn’t stop you in short order, he’d end up slowing considerably over the course of the night. On Saturday, he showed that no longer to be the case, which may have shored up one of the last holes in his game.
With the welterweight title tied up in a trilogy bout between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler coming later in 2015, there could be serious momentum behind a Lombard bout with Rory MacDonald. At 36 years old, the clock is ticking for the Cuban, but he may actually be entering his mixed martial arts prime after years in combat sports.
Grade: A
Josh Burkman
2 of 10
Burkman showed toughness and durability in his return to the UFC, but when tasked with someone as nasty as Hector Lombard, it’s going to take more to go home with a win. His striking has clearly evolved in the years since his last Octagon appearance, and he was able to shuck off some of Lombard’s takedown attempts, but it just wasn’t enough.
He definitely looks like he’s still UFC-caliber and could even hang in the Top 15 for the remainder of his career. This was just a horrible matchup for him in his return to the promotion.
Grade: C
Kyoji Horiguchi
3 of 10
Kyoji Horiguchi was getting some quiet support as a potential title contender heading into his bout with Louis Gaudinot, but he did little to push for it at UFC 182. He outclassed his scrappy foe, but aside from displaying some quickness (and who isn’t quick at flyweight?) and the occasional flying knee, there wasn’t much amazing about his night.
He came in ranked No. 11 in one of the thinner divisions the UFC has to offer, and he’ll move up based on the win; however, he has some work to do before he’s ready to challenge the elite at 125 pounds.
Grade: B+
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Louis Gaudinot
4 of 10
Gaudinot predictably came to fight against Kyoji Horiguchi, but he simply didn’t have the tools to best his adversary on Saturday. He had a near miss with a standing arm triangle, but if that’s what you’re relying on to score a win, you’re not looking at a high percentage chance of success.
Goodnight is now winless in his last three bouts—with a pair of losses and an overturned win thanks to a failed drug test—and is suddenly better known for his wacky hair style than for winning in the Octagon. He may be saved by the shallow waters at flyweight, but there was little memorable about his performance. No one would be shocked if the UFC sends him back for seasoning on the regional circuit.
Grade: C
Brad Tavares
5 of 10
Brad Tavares showed improvement in his bout with Nate Marquardt, offering up a measured approach to his kickboxing game that provided a crisp, clean decision win. On a night when fans at the MGM Grand Garden Arena were awaiting the payoff of one of the sport’s all-time great feuds, though, that may not have been the best time for such a success.
He’s showing a steady, incremental improvement every time he enters the cage, and his prime is at least a couple of years off, so there’s a reason to be encouraged. His athletic gifts and willingness to learn could be enough to get him deep into the Top 10 in 2015.
Grade: B
Nate Marquardt
6 of 10
Nate Marquardt struggled to get off against Brad Tavares at UFC 182. He looked to counter for much of the fight but instead stood in cement shoes and ate jabs for his trouble. It’s a disappointing setback for the former title challenger, who looked reinvigorated beating James Te Huna in his last fight.
It’s hard to know what to make of The Great going forward. He’s entering the latter half of his 30s, and this was probably his last chance to make a run toward the top, yet he can still beat a lot of guys in the division.
He’ll likely keep going, but he’s done as any sort of a contender.
Grade: C-
Donald Cerrone
7 of 10
Cerrone was a wrecking ball against Myles Jury, dominating him all over the Octagon.
When Jury thought he’d win a ground fight, Cerrone mauled him there. When the fight was back to the feet, Cerrone excelled as one would have predicted going in. By the time it was over, Jury was flat on his back with Cerrone delivering the nastiest ground kicks the UFC has ever seen leading up to the final horn.
All in all, it was something of a coming-out party for Cowboy, who’s been marching toward a title shot for a while now. He made that possibility seem all real in his trouncing of Jury, as he looks better than he ever has in his career.
Grade: A
Myles Jury
8 of 10
Jury struggled against a veteran contender in Donald Cerrone, having no answer for his opponent in the biggest fight of his young UFC career. He couldn’t outgrapple his man, couldn’t outstrike him and lost a convincing decision as a result.
Many thought this would be the fight to prove what he was made of, considering he’s been one of the premier prospects at lightweight since his runs on two different seasons of The Ultimate Fighter. He came in hot against Cerrone but was overmatched against one of the best guys in the world at his weight.
It’s not the end of the world for someone who is still on his way up in the game, but it was one-sided enough that he’ll now understand what he needs to do to improve and reach the upper echelon of 155 pounds.
Grade: C+
Jon Jones
9 of 10
Once again Jones rose to the occasion, this time besting his most heated rival ever in Daniel Cormier and doing it largely in the space that Cormier often commands. In tight range with various collar ties and clinches, accented with slashing elbows and physical domination, Jones simply outdid his man wherever it was possible. He even scored a couple of takedowns on one of the best American wrestlers ever to walk the Earth.
Cormier was game and had an eye on leaving Las Vegas with gold, but Jones was a step ahead for much of the bout. Throw in his command of most of the exchanges at longer range, where he more often excels, and this was perhaps the biggest win of his storied title reign.
On to the next one for the best in the business.
Grade: A
Daniel Cormier
10 of 10
Daniel Cormier put in a good night’s work at UFC 182, pressing Jon Jones for portions of their fight and getting off to a good start in the early rounds. However, when the championship rounds came around, it was clear that Jones was more than the former Olympian could handle, and a unanimous decision went in favor of the champion.
It was another blow to Cormier, whose career closet is now utterly filled with bridesmaid dresses. He did everything he could to push Jones with heavy bullying and tiring wrestling—the exact recipe for his success going in—and he still couldn’t get the job done.
He still has a year or two to get back to a title shot, and the heat he has with Jones will only help that possibility, but this was a disappointing finish for him.
Grade: B-
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