Well. It was quite a show last night. The main event sucked how I feared it would. Jon Jones vs. Daniel "DC" Cormier. A tall and rangy spiritual fighter versus a lovable, hard working and modest chubby kid from Louisiana who makes you root for him due to his failures. Joe Rogan and company did as best they could to talk up the even nature of the fight, but not only was it a clear beating, but it was clearly a withheld finish.
Jon Jones showed me tonight, that fighters do receive orders in boxing, MMA, and even tennis matches, to make rivalry matches intriguing. Dana White even pulled him over to the side afterwards and whispered something to him. The bottom line is that Jon had several opportunities to finish DC and chose not to. I knew from the start that unless something big happened, he would do exactly what he did with Rashad Evans- let his opponent live to keep their money making potential intact. With Rashad you could say it was friendship that motivated it, but not with DC. DC was someone Jon clearly wanted to destroy on fight night, and then I watched him clearly avoid several finishes.
I like Jon Jones, and have always respected and admired him as a fellow pure practitioner, but his antics before the fight made you cheer a bit for DC. But regardless, people let their emotions control their vision. I knew from the start that DC had a lot to overcome tactically, and physically to win this fight. He finished the first round and started the 2nd round doing exactly what he needed to win as I said- he applied pressure, and attacked off of transitions and the clinch. In the middle of the fight, when he was pouring it on, Jon poked him in the eye inadvertently, or so it seems. I immediately yelled at the screen for DC to hurry up, and get back, and forget about the eye, because I knew that was a costly break in his strategy. That gave a winded Jon time to catch his breath, and reset. Then he controlled DC against the cage for the rest of the fight, getting about 4 takedowns near the end of the 4th round. DC's physique came into play as well as I imagined it would. He is quick with his hands and a sharp boxer, so he was able to outbox Jon very well from mid-range. It was in the clinch that his heavy lower body was too slow to spring out of Jon's quick take downs. There was a point in the 4th or 5th round when Jon took DC down and had his head against the cage. He had every opportunity in the world to rain short elbows on a guy who has no Jiu jitsu, and finish the fight. He wrestled with him and allowed him to eventually stand. They finished the fight trading punches and hitting Herb Dean- the referee. I laughed, and thought that maybe this was a hype job after all. DC talked so much that he convinced every non-fighter that he had a strong chance. Only people like myself and other martial artists knew that it was an overhyped fight. I like DC and wanted him to be okay, and at least he is. He just talked too much, and now he has to face the music tomorrow.
On the co-main event, it was a match between Donald Cerrone and Myles Jury. That fight was an eye-opener for me having watched "Cowboy" Cerrone in the past. I was a fan of his years ago, and then when he had a couple of setbacks, I figured he had fallen off. I totally missed the fact that he is on a 6 fight win-streak. He slipped right past like Anthony Johnson. In this fight, he looked impressive on the feet, in the clinch, in top position, and off of his back. It was a mega dominant performance that reminded me of the problem that Cowboy is. He may get a title shot soon.
It's going to be very funny hearing all of the talk at work. My coworkers will no doubt try to play kindergarten games and say that I picked DC when they all did. In the end, this was one of those fights that reminds you who knows fighting and who doesn't. Everybody talks a big game, but few know what they're talking about. The only reason I looked forward to this match was because of tension. I knew beyond any doubt that it was not an even fight. I'm just agitated that Jon acquiesced to letting the fight go the distance. Most likely he was told that he had better not jeopardize the money they could make from a rematch. You can't doubt that. If they fight again in March, now the fight could very well sell. Or at least, DC can be used for big fights of his own, as a draw still, even for main events. That would have been put in danger if he was KO'ed tonight. Jon had a guillotine choke a couple of times and chose not to go for that either. After the fight he went on a rant about how he hates DC, and I just shook my head. If that is the case, which I'm sure it is, there is no reason other than that you were given orders, for someone with your stamina and skill set to have DC in those positions in the 4th and 5th round and deliberately not finish.
A lot of you thought DC is a killer. I knew his power wouldn't be enough for Jon's chin. Go back an read my post. I also said that there is a reason DC was such a dominant yet, underachieving wrestler. He lost to Cael 6 times, and to Olympians and other collegiate wrestlers because he only knows 1 way to win. He dominates his opponent, applies pressure, takes down his opponent in only 1 or 2 ways if he can, and grinds. That's all DC can do. As a MMA fighter, of course he's added a few wrinkles, but it's still the same formula, and that is tailor made to be undone by a martial artist who adapts while fighting. I called the entire thing verbatim. The only reason the end was different is because Jon made it so by choice. All DC can do is shoot for a shotgun- or leg pick, and try to sweep and switch to a double, or go for hip tosses. If you watch his matches with Cael Sanderson, as I have, you can see that those limitation cost him when he faces a true artist. Cael was master artist - a wrestling version of a Martial Artist. He constantly gave different looks and turned DC making him look like a child. It isn't because Cael was undefeated that DC lost. He lost for the same reason he lost tonight. He has not learned enough. And he may never learn. At 35, he is just a grinder. He is fortunate that Jon had to have mercy on him and was able to leave with his chin and pride intact. Jon could have effectively ended his career, and for the better of DC overall, I feel that it should have happened. Let's see how it all plays out now that the biggest MMA fight of the year is over. Maybe a matchup between Jon and Gus next which everyone wants.
After that fight, I now look to Mayweather and Pacquiao to deliver for anticipated hype of a super-fight, because Jones vs DC was surely a bust.
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