Another chapter in the long saga of Jon Jones' absence from ultimate fighting comes Saturday night, and it will be telling, as Daniel Cormier aims to defend his status as the light heavyweight champion against Alexander Gustafsson.
While the shadow of Jones lurks over this fight, similar to past light-heavyweight encounters, this one has an added feel of intrigue and suspense. That's because a long legal issue could be nearing its end, as the UFC released a statement, acknowledging that they will thoroughly review Jones' recent plea agreement before reinstating him.
That means that the winner of Saturday's fight could in all likelihood be Jones' next opponent, should he be reinstated accordingly. As if this battle needed any more sizzle, it got some in the days leading up to fight night.
Cormier vs. Gustafsson Odds
Tale of the Tape
Cormier vs. Gustafsson
Once again, it's a larger, more powerful striker stepping into the octagon to threaten Cormier's case for a rematch against Jones—the only man to beat him in the UFC.
In May, it was Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, who earned his shot at Cormier after toppling Gustafsson in a January first-round victory. The 36-year-old dispatched of him accordingly, committing a third-round TKO that allowed him to retain the belt.
The Swede's loss to Johnson—a foe Cormier just beat—would seem like a death sentence, but it's not.
The main reason why is that Gustafsson contains the power in his hands that Johnson—or any other fighter in the weight class, arguably—cannot boast. It's why he was able to take Jones himself to the distance in a five-round slugfest back in 2013 that provided one of the UFC's most memorable fights in history.
Gustafsson and Cormier showed their respect for one another by shaking hands, but the camaraderie ended there as Bloody Elbow showed:
If Cormier wants to keep Gustafsson from that title belt that he's come so close to winning, he'll have to avoid letting his opponent establish his massive reach advantage.
As tends to be the case with Cormier, he's out-reached by a whopping six inches. But unlike when he faced Johnson, Gustafsson has the power to put him down with a single punch.
Getting those punches onto Cormier's chin isn't the hard part, however. That comes in being able to make them count and take Cormier to the ground.
If Gustafsson isn't able to do that, Cormier will inevitably establish his ground-and-pound fighting style, wearing his opponent out with relentless wrestling and timely strikes.
Of course, Gustafsson has the stamina and the will that Johnson didn't prove to have against Cormier. That should have this fight going the distance easily, as Gustafsson has proven practically impossible to knockout by an opponent who doesn't possess deadly hands.
His determination will keep it relatively close, but Gustafsson just doesn't have the overall ability to keep up with Cormier for five rounds. He may hang, but he won't win.
Prediction: Cormier wins via unanimous decision
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