UFC 192: Daniel Cormier def. Alexander Gustafsson by split decision
Cormier claimed the title with a third-round submission win over Anthony Johnson five months earlier and just as with his first shot at the light heavyweight title, many were counting Gustafsson out heading into this one, as the Swedish challenger was coming off a devastating first-round knockout loss to “Rumble” at the start of the year.
But just as he did against Jones two years earlier, “The Mauler” rose to the occasion and pushed the champion to his limit.
While Gustafsson used his length and smooth boxing to snipe at Cormier in space and sting the champion, “DC” did the majority of his work inside, tying up with Gustafsson and landing short, hard shots from the collar-tie position. Every time one man would start to build momentum, the other would come roaring back, leaving the crowd at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on the edge of their seats.
In the fifth, Cormier kept the pressure on Gustafsson, forcing the challenger to circle away numerous times while punctuating his performance with more successful dirty boxing inside.
While one judge saw the fight for the challenger, two had the tens and nines in favor of the champion. Although the judges were split on the decision, the public opinion was unanimous — this was a tremendous fight and one of the best in the history of the light heavyweight division.
