When UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was stripped of his title and suspended indefinitely by the UFC after he was charged with a felony hit-and-run offence in April, no one benefited more than his arch rival Daniel Cormier, who went on to claim the vacant title.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
However ahead of his first title defence against challenger Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192 this weekend, Cormier has found the rarefied air he inhabits sucked out of the room after Jones pleaded guilty to all charges earlier this week and accepted a plea deal, an 18-month suspended sentence, that could see him back in the Octagon sooner rather than later.
Subsequently, the shadow of Jones looms large over this bout, much larger than it did when Cormier fought Anthony Johnson for the vacant title on May 25.
For both Gustafsson and Cormier, Jones is the bogeyman that replaced their dream of a light heavyweight championship with the nightmarish realisation that against the best MMA fighter the world has seen, they simply weren't up to scratch.
Cormier was dominated in an across-the-board 49-46 decision, with Jones repeatedly stuffing his takedown attempts, becoming the first man to not only defeat the Olympic wrestler but, adding insult to injury, he also became the first man to take Cormier down and put him on his back.
For the Swede, however, the Jones loss burns exponentially hotter. Gustafsson clearly beat the champion for two rounds and, in the eyes of some, won the fight in the third round, despite all three judges awarding the fight to Jones.
More importantly, Gustafsson showed the champion was human, that he could be hurt. However he also revealed something more important about Jones as a fighter, that the man, having never faced adversity in his professional career, could rise above a challenge.
Since that fight, Gustafsson has been a mixed bag. He starched the overmatched but game Brit Jimmy Manuwa, before getting knocked out in his last fight by top contender Anthony Johnson.
If you think there's something strange about that, you're right. There aren't many fighters who go straight from being knocked out to fighting for a title, but it speaks to the shallow nature of the light heavyweight division – even with Jones out of the picture.
That Rashad Evans, who hasn't fought in two years, is in the top five of the division when his last win was against a middleweight with an inflated ego and PED levels, in the form of Chael Sonnen, says something.
With Cormier defeating Johnson, Gustafsson was the most logical, illogical challenger.
On the face of it, the fight appears to be a classic striker versus wrestler match-up, but that would sell both fighters short. Cormier has knocked out heavyweights, and Gustafsson is the only man to take Jones down.
Physically, Gustafsson will have a six-inch height and reach advantage and if – and it's a big if – he can keep Cormier at distance, he has a better chance than most pundits would like to admit.
In the co-main event, former welterweight champion Johnny Hendricks will take on Tyron Woodley in a fight likely to determine the next top contender in the 170-pound division.
Former Strikeforce champion Woodley is a powerful wrestler and striker but can be hesitant to pull the trigger, while Hendricks will be desperate to secure a third fight against champion Robbie Lawler after his controversial, split-decision loss in their last championship bout.
Rashad Evans will also make his long-awaited return to the Octagon after a wretched run with injury, taking on Ryan Bader, while in the preliminary card, live and free on Fox Sports, New Zealand prospect Dan Hooker will take on Mexican prodigy Yair Rodriguez in what is guaranteed to be an action-packed three-round affair.
UFC 192 screens live on Main Event on Sunday from 1pm.
