Daniel Cormier is set to defend the UFC light heavyweight championship for the first time Saturday night against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192. It's a battle of contrasting styles, and whichever fighter can better impose their preferred tactics will walk out with the belt.
The bout headlines a solid card that also includes a pair of intriguing matchups as Ryan Bader faces off with Rashad Evans and Shawn Jordan battles Ruslan Magomedov. It should make for a highly entertaining night of action from Houston.
That said, Cormier and Gustafsson will take center stage. So let's check out all of the important details for the event along with odds and a preview for the main event.
UFC 192 Details
Where: Toyota Center in Houston
When: Saturday, Oct. 3 at 10 p.m. ET
Watch: Pay-Per-View
Live Stream: UFC.com
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Fight Odds
Preview
The single biggest question mark heading into this fight is which version of Gustafsson is going to show up Saturday night. It's hard to guess whether it will be the one who seriously pushed Jon Jones two years ago or the one who got knocked out in the first round by Anthony Johnson in January.
This is a fight the 28-year-old Swede can certainly win if he returns to the form he showcased against Jones. That's far for a guarantee, however, given the lackluster showing against Johnson. His victory over Jimi Manuwa didn't prove much in terms of his title worthiness, either.
That said, he's feeling confident about the way the bout sets up for him, as noted by John Gooden of UFC.com.
"It's very simple: He's a short wrestler and I'm a tall striker," Gustafsson said. "He's a great fighter but I believe that I am the type of fighter that is the absolute opposite of DC. I move a lot. I can fight backwards. I have a lot of belief in my speed and precision and I know that I have really good takedown defence."
Cormier probably hasn't received enough credit for his success. When you're holding a championship and the only loss on your résumé is to Jones, you're clearly doing something right. A victory here would help him continue to gain respect.
Like Gustafsson, he's confident heading into the fight and believes the mental side of things will be a major advantage, per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.
"The guy just lost in two-and-a-half minutes, so why ... build him up if you think his confidence is already low?" Cormier said. "Why should I rebuild it for him? I want him to have these big questions overhead. He's very dangerous, a real threat. If I don't fight my best, I could lose to him, but I think I've covered all my bases."
The uncertainty heading into the fight makes it warrant the hype. UFC President Dana White added to that by posting a video of social media:
Cormier is the favorite based on recent fights, particularly the drastically different results when they battled Johnson. The differences in height, length and styles make it a tricky fight to prepare for, though.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden explained why that's the case:
Both fighters must also prevent themselves from looking ahead. The future of Jon Jones is once again a hot topic following a plea agreement to settle his legal situation. Mike Bohn of USA Today highlights what that means for the rest of the division:
All told, it comes back to the fighting styles. Cormier wants to turn this into a brawl to utilize his wrestling background to maximum effectiveness. Gustafsson needs to maintain distance and land as many heavy strikes as possible to wear down the champion.
There will probably be points throughout the bout where both fighters hold a clear edge. The advantage will shift back and forth. But in the end, Cormier is the more well-rounded fighter and should score the win, even if he doesn't have quite enough left in the tank to earn a knockout.
Prediction: Cormier by unanimous decision
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