Daniel Cormier defeated Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192 by split decision
Last Updated: 04/10/15 11:10am
Daniel Cormier successfully defended his UFC light-heavyweight championship for the first time with a narrow win over Alexander Gustafsson.
The American took a 47-48, 48-47, 49-46 split decision after five gruelling rounds at UFC 192 in Houston, Texas, after withstanding a period where it seemed his crown was slipping.
Jon Jones - the former 205-pounds title-holder who had his belt stripped - reacted to his rival Cormier's victory by posting "you showed some heart tonight, DC" on his Instagram page.
"I think I miss it. I don't know," Jones teased after watching two previous opponents slug it out.
Cormier opened the fight by demonstrating his Olympic wrestling pedigree by hoisting Gustafsson above his head and slamming him. To his surprise, the Swede responded with two takedowns of his own in the second round.
The champion rallied to bloody his challenger's nose in the third, and Gustafsson's gasps for breath suggested it may be broken, yet he still landed a huge knee in the final minute that had Cormier on the ropes.
The 35-year-old endured that moment and, in the final two rounds, had more energy left in the tank and was rewarded by the judges' scorecards.
