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We’re just hours away from UFC’s next PPV, which will be headlined by the new UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier as he defends his title for the first time.
The challenger, Alexander Gustafsson also has a thing or two to prove, as he looks to put his demons to rest. Going into the fight, Gustafsson has been forced to listen to the comments of DC and his fans, who’ve been ridiculing him of being famous for his losses, rather than his victories.
DC hasn’t missed an opportunity to throw the same in Gus’s face and come Sunday morning (in India), we’ll get to see if DC managed to get inside Gustafsson’s head, or if Gus can finally win the ‘big one’, and become the new UFC Light Heavyweight champion.
While the purists claim that Cormier has the advantage going into the fight, with his Olympic level wrestling skills, the fact that Gus has the reach advantage and is the better striker among the two would even things out. In the welterweight division, the bout between Johny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley has been scrapped, with Johny failing to cut weight properly and was taken to a hospital last night.
However, there are many things to look forward to, and we list out the four things to look out for at UFC 192.
The future face of UFC
There is one fight, however, that will attract the attention of the MMA fans and pundits everywhere, and it is on the prelims card. Sage Northcutt, UFC’s newest acquisition will be in action, as he takes on Francisco Trevino in a catchweight bout. Sage, who used to fight in the welterweight class will make his debut in the lightweight division. Francisco failed to make weight last night, weighing in 5 pounds over the 155-pound limit, and will forego 20% of his purse.
Sage has it all – the looks, the physique and the talent, and there is little to no surprise that UFC’s head honcho, Dana White signed Sage up after watching him fight for the very first time at Legacy 44. Dana, who with the exception of bringing ‘The Last Emperor’ Fedor Emelianenko to the UFC, has never missed an opportunity to make money or bring in the kind of quality that would bring the fans to the arenas, dismissed Sage as a “wannabe” even before the fight at LFC 44.
To his credit, Dana quickly changed his mind and apologized to Sage for it, and has given the 19-year-old the opportunity of a lifetime. Much like Paige VanZant, UFC now has a fighter for the future, and Sage’s marketability, along with his potential as a fighter will bring eyeballs from around the globe, as we witness the rise of arguably the future face of UFC, as well as MMA.
What the future holds for the Light Heavyweight Division
Not so long ago, UFC’s PR went through a nightmare with the Jon Jones fiasco. Fast forward to October, and the fans are talking about the division once again, but for the right reasons. DC and Gustafsson have one thing in common – they both lost to Jon Jones in the past.
DC hasn’t missed an opportunity to rub it in Gustafsson’s face – claiming Gus’s claim to fame was his loss to Jon. However, with both men now focussed for their fight, the fans are surely in for a treat.
Although we won’t be breaking down their fight, one has to believe that the underdog going into the fight will be ‘The Mauler’. Alex lost to a game Anthony Johnson back in January this year, and no one would have predicted then that he would be fighting for the title in October. However, with Jon’s temporary hiatus from the sport and Anthony falling to DC, it could be the perfect opportunity and stroke of luck that Gustafsson would have prayed for.
With Jon also escaping jail time, the former light heavyweight champion could be in attendance at UFC 192 to size up the competition. Jon has continued to train, and has been working with the likes of Holly Holm during his time away from the Octagon, and would be eyeing a return in the near future.
Does ‘Suga’ Evans still have what it takes?
One of the fights on the main card that has received a lot of attention is the one involving the former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Rashad Evans. The main and co-main events will now be headlined by the fighters from the light heavyweight division, with the co-main event being a title eliminator.
Rashad will be fighting Ryan Bader, who also has a thing or two to prove after his bust-up with Daniel Cormier during the UFC 187 post-fight presser. Cormier has been the main instigator, provoking Bader as well as Gustafsson leading up to the PPV. With Rashad getting back into the title picture, all the questions about him will be answered at UFC 192.
A credible threat in the women’s Bantamweight division
The women’s bantamweight division is currently going through a sad state of affairs. While Miesha Tate was snubbed by Dana, after her title eliminator bout against Jessica Eye earlier this year, there is no legitimate threat for Ronda Rousey in the division.
Rousey will be fighting Holly Holm for the UFC women’s Bantamweight title next month in Melbourne, but even with a month to go, the betting odds heavily favor the champion. At UFC 192, Julianna Pena will face Jessica Eye in the bantamweight division. Julianna has always been a force to be reckoned with and was the winner of the 18th season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Known for her quick hands and her impressive ground game, Pena, who returned to action in April after suffering a career threating injury made short work of her previous opponent, Milana Dudieva. At 192, Pena will go into the fight as the favorite, and if she manages to stop Jessica in the first round, she will then be a couple of fights away from challenging for the title.
