Daniel Cormier Next Fight: 4 Options After UFC 182 Loss to Jon Jones
At UFC 182, Daniel Cormier came up short and was handed his first defeat in mixed martial arts in a close, five-round fight against Jon Jones. He is now in the position of being a title challenger coming off of a loss, and his next matchup will be crucial.
He will need to put together a sizable winning streak to get another crack at Jones and the light heavyweight title, but his performance in the bout proved that he can certainly hang with Jones for five rounds and is still a legitimate threat to the rest of the 205-pound division.
Where does “DC” go from here? Let’s take a look at four options for Cormier after losing to Jon Jones.
No. 4: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
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The former UFC light heavyweight champion is back serving the devil he knows. After leaving the UFC on a three-fight skid, Rampage migrated over to Bellator and won three fights in that organization. He knocked out Joey Beltran and Christian M’Pumbu and in his final bout with Bellator he headlined their first (and seemingly last) foray onto pay-per-view against Mo Lawal.
Outside of a few flurries from Jackson, Lawal controlled the fight and had Rampage pressed up against the defense defending takedowns for most of the fight. Nonetheless, Jackson left with the victory.
Rampage has been vocal about not wanting to face wrestlers who will only look to grind out decisions, which is something Cormier would be smart to do against him. Power is the last thing to go as a fighter ages, so Rampage will always remain a threat in the striking department.
A fight between Rampage Jackson and Daniel Cormier would give DC an opportunity to start his trek back toward the title against a very well-known opponent, and a chance to defeat another former UFC champion. It’s the least likely of the bunch, because of Rampage and his disdain for “the grind,” but it would a great fight regardless.
No. 3: Phil Davis
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Davis has been one of the best wrestlers in the light heavyweight division since entering the UFC in 2010. His only two losses inside the Octagon came against Rashad Evans and Anthony Johnson, and he has a first-round submission win over the currently No. 1-ranked Alexander Gustafsson from his second UFC fight.
This fight would most likely be contested on the mat, as Davis was an NCAA Division I All-American and Cormier is a former U.S. Olympian. Davis is slated to face Ryan Bader in Stockholm at UFC on Fox later this month, and win or lose, he would be a great next fight for Cormier.
No. 2: Rashad Evans
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Cormier was scheduled to face Evans back at UFC 170 last year before Evans injured his knee. Evans sat out the entirety of 2014 with the injury, and the two have yet to cross paths in the cage.
Both are exceptional wrestlers with one-punch knockout power who have fought at light heavyweight and heavyweight. It was smart matchmaking the first time around and would still be a great fight for both men.
Evans is booked opposite Glover Teixeira for a UFC Fight Night in Porto Alegre, Brazil on February 22, and whether he wins or loses, his next opponent should be Cormier.
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No. 1: Anthony Johnson
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The way that Anthony “Rumble” Johnson shrugged off the takedown attempts of Phil Davis at UFC 172 showed that he poses a serious challenge to any wrestler who tries to get him to the canvas. Davis is a freak athlete with some of the highest wrestling credentials in the UFC, and Johnson kept him at bay.
Johnson is scheduled to take on Alexander Gustafsson at January 24 in the main event of UFC on Fox in Stockholm, Sweden, and if he gets past Gus, he’ll be the next in line to face Jon Jones. Johnson is a serious threat at 205 pounds, and since making the move to that division, he has looked unstoppable. Should he come up short against Gustafsson, the fight to make is DC vs. Rumble.
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