Daniel Cormier took a huge step toward legitimizing his reign as the UFC light heavyweight champion with a split-decision win over Alexander Gustafsson in the main event at UFC 192 on Saturday.
Damon Martin of Fox Sports tweeted out the scorecards:
The bout got off to a nightmare start for Gustafsson. After some initial kickboxing at range, Cormier was able to latch on to a single leg and put the Swede on the canvas. From there, he was able to showcase his wrestling roots with his ground-and-pound fighting for the majority of the first frame.
Jeremy Botter of Bleacher Report scored the round for DC and noted the powerful slam that set the tone for the round:
Any thoughts of the fight being a one-sided beatdown were quickly dispelled in the second stanza. Gustafsson rallied back with some impressive striking and two takedowns of his own.
Ariel Helwani of Fox Sports gave the round to Cormier but acknowledged that Gustafsson did enough to make a compelling case:
The champion owned the early part of Round 3 with an onslaught of uppercuts from the clinch that left Gustafsson bloodied and weary. However, the challenger showed the kind of heart that kept him in his fight with Jon Jones by landing his own combination that wobbled DC and sent him to the canvas to punctuate the round.
Patrick Wyman of Bleacher Report gave the round to Gustafsson and marveled at the show both fighters put on through three rounds:
The madness carried on through the fourth round, when it continued to be a razor-sharp performance between the two fighters. Cormier's cardio allowed him to continue to put the pressure on Gustafsson, but the Swede's resolve and power made it possible for him to hang inside and return fire of his own.
What began as a fairly technical battle devolved into a full-on war of attrition in the fifth and final round. Though neither fighter had much power left, Cormier's cardio gave him the extra edge as he continued to build his lead on the scorecards.
Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie commented on the total carnage that could be seen on the faces of both fighters:
The win for DC goes a long way in proving that he is at least the second-best light heavyweight in the world. However, due to circumstances outside of his control, it's going to take longer to prove he's the best in the world to some.
That's because the former champion—Jon Jones—has been held out of action since defeating Cormier in January 2015 because of legal issues.
Cormier doesn't see it that way.
In response to Gustafsson questioning the legitimacy of Cormier as champion, DC restated his thoughts on the situation to Ben Fowlkes of MMA Junkie.
He’s saying that, but if he wins that title on Oct. 3, you know he’ll wear it the same way I’m wearing it, like it’s the UFC championship. And at the end of the day, it wasn’t our fault that this happened. We didn’t do anything wrong. Jones disqualified himself, and that created an opportunity for the two of us.
It appears Cormier will get his opportunity to avenge the loss against Jones sooner rather than later, though. According to Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, the UFC has begun the review process to get Jones back in the cage in light of his recent plea deal:
As big of a win as this was for Cormier, it's equally devastating for Gustafsson. The 6'5" Swede has his own unfinished business with Jones. He lost a decision in a fight that was perhaps the toughest test the former champion has ever seen. Yet Gustafsson is now further from earning that shot at redemption.
He's lost his last two fights and three of his last four. As talented of a fighter as the Mauler is, it's going to be tough to sell him as a contender without allowing him to rack up a few more wins against lesser competition.
Whether Gustafsson is able to rebuild himself into the contender he once was isn't what UFC 192 was about, though. It was about Cormier. It was about the current champion's quest to prove his worth while waiting for his nemesis to return to the division he has run for nearly five years.
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