The UFC typically does a big new year's show, but due to the holiday falling mid-week this year, the event comes a few days later, on January 3rd. Make no mistake, however, the promotion is starting the new year off with a bang! One of the biggest fights it can offer, a fight fans have been waiting for since September, is finally coming to pass as Jon Jones defends his light heavyweight title for the eighth time against Daniel Cormier, the best wrestler Jones has ever faced. There's a ton of bad blood between the two, starting from the very first time they met, when Cormier alleges Jones was arrogant and claimed he could "take him" in a bout. When Alexander Gustafsson was injured in August, Cormier, who had been calling out Jones for a while, and who was the final Strikeforce heavyweight champion, was given the shot. Things went downhill quickly. At a media event leading into their scheduled fall bout, a shoving match erupted. Jones was later injured, and the event postponed to January. Then the two were caught jawing on ESPN's cameras when they thought they were off-air, and Jones was recorded threatening to kill Cormier. The young champ has had more than his share of blunders thus far in his career, but his rivalry with Cormier has been perhaps the biggest - though it will no doubt help sell the fight. Bad blood, after all, attracts fans like sharks. There are plenty of other great fights on the card, including a co-headlining bout between Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Myles Jury. So lets take a look at all five main card fights and make some predictions for UFC 182!
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
