Breaking Down: UFC 192 Main Card

Breaking Down: UFC 192

 

Houston, Texas will be the host city to UFC 192, Saturday October 3, 2015. The Main Event matches up Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson for the Light Heavyweight Championship. That is far from the only compelling fight on this card, however. The Co-Main features #1 Johny Hendricks and #3 Tyron Woodley in a Welterweight fight that will, likely, establish the division’s next title challenger. Another fight with championship implications is #5 Rashad Evans and #4 Ryan Bader in the LHW division. There are an additional ten fights scheduled on the card.

Daniel Cormier submitted Anthony Johnson for the LHW title 5/23/15 via Rear Naked Choke. “DC” was a late replacement after Jon Jones was arrested, suspended indefinitely and stripped of his 205 title. This was Cormier’s second consecutive title shot. He lost a unanimous, five round decision to Jones on 1/3/15. The loss gave “Louisianimal” the first of his career. In 2014 Cormier finished 2 former college wrestling greats: Dan Henderson by RNC (3^rd 3:53) and Patrick Cummins by TKO (1^st 1:19). Cormier is 16-1 with 6 KO and 5 Submission wins.

Because, Alexander Gustafsson has a similar build to that of Jon Jones, much of the hype surrounding the match up has been the size advantage of Gus, but at 5’11” Cormier typically is forced to overcome his opponent’s length. Remember “DC” won the Heavyweight Grand Prix in Strikeforce. He KO’d 6’4” Bigfoot Silva in just 3:56 in the 1^st.

It could be said Alexander Gustafsson doesn’t deserve a title shot right now. The Swede is 1-2 in his last 3 fights and his last: a first round TKO (2:15) courtesy of Anthony Johnson was the first time he’d been KO/TKO’d in his career. While this is Gus’s 2^nd fight of 2015, he hasn’t been terribly active lately. The last time he fought twice, in one calender year was 2012, when he won UD’s over Thiago Silva in April and Mauricio Rua in December. Before his Title shot (a loss to J.Jones 9/21/13) he was on a 6 fight win streak, including 2 Submission and 2 TKO wins. It was a 1^st round submission loss to Phil Davis that inspired Gustafsson to work his wrestling with the former Penn State National Champ. Gus holds the honor of being the first to Take-down Jon Jones, in his MMA career.

In this corner we have a Welterweight that is a tough as nails wrestler with real KO power and in this mirror… Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley come into this fight looking similar in many areas: similar build, similar records both established collegiate wrestlers, but it will be where the distinction is proven that will provide the winner.

Johny Hendricks had 3 close title fights in a row, unfortunately for “Bigg Rigg”, he lost 2 of those, one to GSP (11/16/13), then Dec. 6, 2014 he dropped the strap to the same opponent he had just won it from 3/15/14, Robbie Lawlar. Johny is fresh from a Unanimous Decision over, the forever game, Matt Brown. Hendricks is the owner of 4, first round KO/TKO stoppages in the UFC and 8 total in his career. The 32 year old is 17-3 going into the fight.

Tyron Woodley’s record of 15-3 consists of 5 KO, 5 Sub, and 5 Dec wins, of the 10 early stoppages 8 have been in the first round. “The Chosen One” is coming off two straight wins: Kelvin Gastelum SD (1/31/15) and Dong Hyun Kim TKO (1^st 1:01) (8/23/14). His last loss came at the hands of Rory McDonald UD at UFC 174. Before that he stopped both Condit (2^nd 2:00) at UFC 171 and Koscheck (1^st 4:38) at UFC 167. A win for either fighter likely locks them into the next title fight with Robbie Lawlar.

Rashad Evans hasn’t fought since 11/16/13 when he beat Chael Sonnen by TKO (1^st 4:05), before that was a SD win over Dan Henderson (6/15/13). “Suga” has been in there with the sports best, the former champion won TUF 2 as a Heavyweight. A win over Bader, may be all he needs to get a shot at the title.

Ryan Bader is 9-0 in fights that go to decision, but he also has 6 KO and 4 Submission wins. It may be a tall order to KO or Sub Evans, but Bader has a history of out pointing and grinding opponents. “Darth” comes into the fight having won his last 4, including OSP and Phil Davis. Like Evans, a win should result in a title shot.

If that wasn’t enough so far, in the Heavyweight Division: Shawn “Savage” Jordan, finisher of 17 of his 18 wins, 14 by KO, takes on 13-1 Ruslan Magomedov, who is on an 8 fight win streak.

Opening up the PPV will be 11-3 Jessica “Evil” Eye #6, taking on 6-2 Julianna “The Venezuelen Vixen” Pena #12. Pena’s 6 wins consists of 3 KO and 3 Sub finishes.

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