UFC 182: Jon Jones defeats Daniel Cormier in grudge match to retain his title
Unanimous decision for the champ
Last Updated: 04/01/15 10:51am
Jon Jones convincingly defeated Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in Las Vegas on Saturday night in a spiteful grudge match for the world light-heavyweight title.
'Bones' Jones remains the champion and secured 49-46 scores from all three judges as he underlined his status as the pound-for-pound king.
The champion dramatically demonstrated a wrestling advantage over former Olympic wrestler Cormier – securing several conclusive takedowns and restricting the challenger to just one late, and brief, takedown.
The five-round fight was initially closely contested as Jones and Cormier likely won a round each as they brutally fought in the clinch with a mixture of elbows and knees.
The champion took over in the fourth, taking the previously undefeated Cormier to the ground three times. Although Cormier responded with one of his own in the fifth, it was a brief moment in an otherwise dominant round for Jones.
The fight ended as aggressively as the build-up in this grudge match between heated rivals. Jones began his celebration purposefully early before striking Cormier, who responded on the final bell, forcing the referee to dive into harm's way to end the match.
"I'm sorry I'm being classless," Jones said after. "I do not like Daniel Cormier and that's why I'm being this way."
