DISCLAIMER: This article is previewing the co main and main event.
On April 8th, the UFC will become the first promotion to hold a professional MMA card in the city of the Buffalo. It will also be the second UFC card to happen in the state of New York, after the historic UFC 205 card.
The attractions of this card come in the co-main event, a blockbuster fight between top ranked Middleweights Chris Weidman and Gegard Mousasi, and the main event, which sees Light Heavyweight Daniel Cormier face Anthony Johnson in a rematch from their May 2015 fight at UFC 187, were Cormier won via third-round rear naked choke.
Chris Weidman vs Gegard Mousasi (Middleweight Bout)
As the Middleweight division looks more and more stacked by the month, this fight has huge implications not just for the two fighters but for the division as a whole.
Even though it's clear that Yoel Romero (13-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who KO'd Chris Weidman ( 13-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) with a stunning flying knee back in November at UFC 205, is clearly the Number 1 contender to the winner of champ Michael Bisping (30-7 MMA, 26-7 UFC) and the returning George Saint-Pierre (25-2 MMA, 19-2 UFC), the winner of this fight will feel that they could even challenge Romero in the meantime and the true Number 1 contendership.
Whilst Weidman is coming off back-to-back losses to Luke Rockhold and Romero, at UFC 194 and UFC 205 respectively, Mousasi (41-6-2 MMA, 8-3 UFC) is on a four fight win streak, with his last three coming via TKO.
The Iranian, now living in the Netherlands, has really come into his own of late and will look to beat Weidman in order to back up his recent frustrations at the Middleweight division (via Fight Society Podcast):
“I deserve [a title shot]. ‘Jacare’ has deserved a shot already. Yoel Romero deserves his shot. Why aren’t we getting our title shots? What can I say. They’re just stalling or whatever. Now they’re saying GSP may not want to fight until January or whatever. Make GSP fight Anderson Silva. If they want to have a super fight, make GSP vs. Anderson."
In reference to other fighters' pay, the former DREAM and StrikeForce Middleweight champion added;
“I just see that Vitor Belfort is making tons more money than me. I defeated Dan Henderson, he’s making tons more money than me. I defeated Mark Hunt. He’s making $800,000 a fight. I can beat Michael Bisping and even before he was champion he was making a lot more than me. Why don’t I deserve to make some money? . . . How is it possible Mark Hunt is making $800,000 with a record of 10-10? He has a record of 10 wins, 10 losses. Look at my record. How the f**k is that possible?”
He rounded off by saying “It comes all down to this fight. That’s why I trained so hard for this fight. It’s not because I want to beat Chris Weidman. It’s because I need to get paid, and I’m going to get paid. That’s what I’m going to do.”
When it comes to the fight itself, Weidman will be wary of the KO after his last fight against Romero. This fight may result in a wrestling contest, which will be interesting as Mousasi is an underrated wrestler and Weidman is one of the best when it comes to takedowns, but I think that Mousasi will adapt well if Weidman looks to take it to the ground.
PREDICTION: Mousasi wins via unanimous decision.
Daniel Cormier (C) vs Anthony Johnson (For the Light Heavyweight Championship)
Back at UFC 187, a man was crowned the UFC Light Heavyweight champion.
That man was Daniel Cormier (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC).
By submitting Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson (22-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) in the third round, Cormier became only the second UFC Light Heavyweight champ after former champ Jon 'Bones' Jones (22-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) was stripped of the title and replaced by Cormier after Jones was involved in a hit-and-run incident.
The fight was explosive, with Johnson dropping Cormier in the first round but ultimately gassed out midway through the second round. Cormier was vicious on the ground and badly busted up AJ.
The third round consisted of Cormier grinding Johnson down and subsequently transitioned into a rear-naked choke.
Following this, Rumble went on a three fight win streak, all by knockout, with his last fight at UFC 202 against Glover Teixeira (26-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) lasting thirteen seconds.
A rematch was then set up for UFC 206 but was cancelled when Cormier withdrew with a foot injury.
With the rematch set for tonight in Buffalo, New York, it seems that all is set to go ahead as planned.
Well, that is after Cormier had a very mysterious and controversial weigh in.
The UFC Light Heavyweight champ weighed in at 206.2 pounds, meaning that the fight wouldn't have been for his title.
A few moments later, Cormier came back and successfully weighed in again, which is acceptable under the New York State Athletic Commission, and hit his target of 205 pounds.
There have been many theories has to how Cormier lost 1.2 pounds in a matter of minutes but this isn't the place for theories about the UFC and state commissons.
When looking at the fight, it's clear that the pressure is on Johnson to change his stragerty going into the rematch. He can't do the same first round he did last time, were he threw endless combos in looking for the knockout, He'll have to pace himself and see if he can match Cormier on the ground, if it gets to that point.
PREDICTION: Cormier wins via fourth-round rear-naked choke.
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