UFC 210 recap: Daniel Cormier retains light-heavyweight title by submitting Anthony Johnson

Daniel Cormier, right, tries to avoid a punch from Anthony Johnson during their light-heavyweight title fight at UFC 210.

(Jeffrey T. Barnes / Associated Press)

Daniel Cormier captured the UFC light-heavyweight title when Jon Jones was suspended and Anthony Johnson has been his most formidable obstacle. Cormier defeated Johnson via submission to win the gold and now Johnson is coming back for that title. Cormier relies heavily on his wrestling while Johnson utilizes some of the scariest knockout power in the game and also has wrestling to fall back on. The knock on Johnson is that you can get the best of him later on if you survive the early storm. That was the case the first time Johnson and Cormier fought.

Round 1. Johnson throws a few heavy punches and then looks for a takedown. They end up in a long clinch battle with Cormier attempting to wear Johnson down. Johnson creates a little bit of separation and throws a few big blows that don’t land. Johnson lands a few big shots to the body that do damage to Cormier. Johnson then clinches again. 10-9 Johnson.

Round 2. Cormier’s nose appears to be disfigured. Cormier catches a kick and looks for a takedown. Cormier can’t get it and Johnson instead gets the takedown. Cormier gets back up immediately and gets the takedown himself. Cormier takes Johnson’s back and looks for a rear naked choke. This was the finish of the first fight. Cormier lands a series of big punches and then grabs the choke. Johnson taps.

Winner: Daniel Cormier, submission, round 2.

Daniel Cormier did it again. He weathered the early storm from the fearsome Johnson and submitted him for the second time. Cormier’s really had a remarkable career, with his only blemish coming against the all time great Jon Jones. As for Johnson, he came up short in a big fight again and demonstrated some dubious strategy in the process. This is a big setback for him.

Anthony Johnson announced his retirement after the fight, although it seems unlikely he’ll follow through with that at only 33 years old in the prime of his career. It would be a massive blow to the thin light-heavyweight division if Johnson doesn’t return.

Chris Weidman is a proud former UFC middleweight champion who ended the long reign of the legendary Anderson Silva and defended his title three times before losing it to Luke Rockhold. Weidman lost again next time out via knockout to Yoel Romero and is looking for redemption here. Gegard Mousasi’s motivations are different. The former Dream and Strikeforce champion wants big fights in the UFC and with four straight wins, he earned this shot against the popular Weidman. A win here could establish Mousasi as a perennial top middleweight.

Round 1. Both fighters show healthy respect for the other as they feel each other out with punches. Weidman gets a takedown a little over a minute in. Mousasi tries to stand up but Weidman grabs a choke. Mousasi avoids that and gets up. Weidman scores another takedown halfway through the round. Mousasi gets up before taking any damage. Weidman goes for another takedown. Mousasi defends well against the cage. Mousasi lands a punch on the break. Mousasi lands a couple more and Weidman goes for another takedown. He gets Mousasi to the mat but can’t keep Mousasi down. Mousasi slips and Weidman takes top control again at the end. 10-9 Weidman.

Round 2. Mousasi lands a jab and a series of heavy punches by the cage. Mousasi is looking to close the show while Weidman is forced to cover up. Weidman is bleeding. Mousasi looks for a takedown, which is buying Weidman time. Weidman goes for a takedown of his own. Mousasi looks for a guillotine in the process but doesn’t come close and just controls the head. Mousasi looks to sweep but can’t pull it off. Weidman works into full mount. Mousasi has to turn his back and Weidman looks for a rear naked choke. They scramble and return to the feet. Mousasi lands a knee and then lands a couple more as Weidman puts his hands down. There were two knees around that time. One was clearly legal; the other was close. The replay showed that Weidman’s hand was up on the second, which would make it legal. This led to a chaotic scene where there was a long delay, followed by the fight being stopped.

Winner: Gegard Mousasi, TKO, round 2.

That is going to be a very controversial finish. The referee stopped the action thinking it was an illegal blow, but once it was discovered it was a legal blow, there wasn’t any way to justify giving Weidman all that time to recover from a legal blow. It’s unfortunate because Weidman could have continued but he put his hands down in an effort to make the blows illegal and exploit that rule so he brought about the unfortunate situation himself by trying to take advantage of that rule.

Cynthia Calvillo is undefeated professionally at 4-0 and won her UFC debut. Pearl Gonzalez is 6-1 and making her UFC debut.

Round 1. The action is a little slow early, with both fighters primarily relying on their boxing. Calvillo is landing more. Gonzalez goes for a takedown, but Calvillo blocks that and lands a big knee. They go to the ground, where Calvillo locks in a triangle choke but time runs out. 10-9 Calvillo.

Round 2. The second round begins similarly to the first. Gonzalez is sort of plodding forward while Calvillo is taking advantage of her superior speed in the boxing. Gonzalez gets a takedown and quickly moves into mount. Calvillo attempts to escape, but Gonzalez goes for an armbar during that process. Calvillo gets out and takes top position where she is in side control position. Calvillo takes Gonzalez’s back and looks for a rear naked choke. Calvillo isn’t able to make much progress on that, but she controls Gonzalez for the remainder of the round. 10-9 Calvillo.

Round 3. Calvillo uses a trip takedown and is half guard on the ground. Calvillo quickly transitions and takes Gonzalez’s back. This time, she comes close to locking in a rear naked choke but can’t quite get under Gonzalez’s neck. Calvillo gets the choke and the submission.

Winner: Cynthia Calvillo, submission, round 3.

Cynthia Calvillo looked good again. We’ll see how she does as she moves up the ranks in the UFC.

This battle of veterans pits a former UFC welterweight title contender in Thiago Alves against a former UFC middleweight title contender in Patrick Cote. Both men are principally strikers and are likely toward the tail end of their careers. Alves has dropped two straight, while Cote has more momentum with wins in six of his last eight.

Round 1. Neither man lands a lot early. Alves connects with the biggest early shot of the fight, a knee to the chin that sends Cote backwards in an attempt to recover. Gathering his senses, Cote begins to move forward again with punches. Alves drops Cote with a punch and looks to finish with shots on the ground. Alves lands some big punches late, and Cote looks annoyed at what he must have felt were late shots. 10-8 Alves.

Round 2. Alves and Cote begin trading very early in the round. They exchange heavy punches by the cage with Alves getting the better of it. Cote continues to push forward with punches while Alves tries to deter him with leg kicks. Alves drops Cote with a massive punch as Cote is moving in. Cote looks for a takedown on instinct while Alves lands additional punches. Cote backs off and regains his composure. He was in big trouble there but recovered quickly. 10-8 Alves.

Round 3. Cote is really pressing the action after losing the first two rounds. He lands some solid shots and then looks for a takedown. Instead, it is Alves who secures the takedown. Alves cuts Cote up badly on the ground and they return to the feet with Cote’s face a crimson mask. Cote starts winging up his punches in dramatic fashion, but he’s way behind and it’s not making a difference. Alves lands a big flying knee at the end. 10-9 Alves, 30-25 Alves.

Winner: Thiago Alves, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Thiago Alves just hasn’t looked like the fighter who was once one of the most feared fighters in the welterweight division in recent years. He showed flashes of that greatness on this night, punishing Patrick Cote throughout the bout. It remains to be seen whether Alves can build on that momentum against tougher competition, but this was a step in the right direction.

Patrick Cote announced his retirement after the fight. Cote debuted in the UFC way back in 2004 and had a very respectable career on the top level.

Will Brooks is the former Bellator MMA lightweight champion with an impressive 19-2 MMA record against plenty of tough opposition. He is coming off a controversial loss to Alex Oliveira and is looking to reaffirm that he is one of the best lightweights in the world. Charles Oliveira is a dangerous fighter in both the standup and on the ground. He has lost three of his last four, albeit to elite competition in Ricardo Lamas, Anthony Pettis and Max Holloway. That leaves both fighters with something to prove.

Round 1. Oliviera lands some kicks early. They clinch and Oliveira uses a trip takedown to take top position. Brooks tries to get up, but Oliveira slams him back down and takes Brooks’ back. Oliveira sinks in a rear naked choke from the standing position. Brooks fights it hard but eventually has to tap.

Winner: Charles Oliveira, submission, round 1.

Charles Oliveira has suffered his share of setbacks against top-flight opposition over the years, but he showed again tonight what a dangerous foe he is for anyone. Oliveira has a tendency to win spectacularly and that was another one. For Brooks, it’s a heartbreaking setback. He badly wanted to fight the best in the UFC, but now with consecutive losses he is a long way from his goal of reaching the top of the sport.

Myles Jury was on top of the world in late 2014. Undefeated at 15-0 with wins over name opponents like Michael Johnson, Diego Sanchez and Takanori Gomi, Jury wanted the best in the division. He got a big opportunity against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in the co-main event of a major card headlined by Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier. Unfortunately for Jury, everything fell apart from there. Cerrone dominated Jury, winning every round of their fight on all of the judges’ scorecards. Jury was submitted in the first round of his next fight against Charles Oliveira in late 2015. Jury hasn’t fought since. Jury takes on the lightly regarded Mike De La Torre here and badly needs a win.

Round 1. Jury drops down and gets a takedown 30 seconds in. De La Torre tries to stand up and Jury takes his back. Jury secures a body triangle and looks to secure a rear naked choke. Jury gives up the choke attempt and instead lands a long series of punches and elbows to the head. Jury cuts De Le Torre open with one. Jury keeps landing hard elbows to the bloody head of De La Torre and the referee stops the bout.

Winner: Myles Jury, TKO, round 1.

Myles Jury was in desperate need of a statement win there and secured just that. His ground game was way too much for De La Torre and he not only controlled the fight but opened up on offense. That will gain Jury some momentum as he looks to reestablish himself as a contender.

Kamaru Usman has established a reputation for himself early on in the UFC, going 4-0 thus far. He won the final bout of the “Ultimate Fighter” season 21 and defeated the talented Warlley Alves last time out. Now he fights the 18-1 Sean Strickland, who has gone 5-1 in the UFC in his own right.

Round 1. Usman looks to set up a power punch early but isn’t able to connect on a few attempts. Usman then clinches and looks for a takedown. Usman gets Strickland down, but Strickland looks to attack the leg in the process. Usman avoids danger and controls Strickland on the ground. 10-9 Usman.

Round 2. Strickland has a lot of blood near one of his eyes after an elbow in the first round, and it is causing him problems in the second. Strickland clearly is having a lot of trouble with his vision given the blood is going right in his eye, and Usman is exploiting that advantage in the striking. Usman drops Strickland with a massive looping right hand to the side where Strickland can’t see. Usman looks to finish with additional punches and some nasty elbows to the body. Back on the feet, Usman continues to land the better shots. 10-8 Usman.

Round 3. Usman gets another takedown and lands a series of punches on the ground. Strickland gets up with two minutes left but continues to be exploited on the feet because of his vision problems. 10-9 Usman, 30-26 Usman.

Winner: Kamaru Usman, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26).

Kamaru Usman has been impressive in the Octagon thus far, and that was another dynamic performance. Usman put together his skills well and appears ready for a Top 10-caliber challenge.

It’s Boston vs. New York in this one as Boston’s Charles Rosa looks to improve his UFC record to 3-2 against the undefeated New Yorker Shane Burgos. The two fighters only have one decision apiece in their nineteen combined MMA wins, so this has the potential to be an exciting contest.

Round 1. Burgos moves in confidently, throwing hard, straight punches up the middle. Burgos has impressive hand speed. Rosa is trying to keep him at bay with strikes from a variety of angles, including many more kicks than Burgos is throwing. Rosa is using a much more diverse array of strikes, but those hard Burgos punches are the biggest shots. Rosa shoots for a takedown late, but it is blocked. 10-9 Burgos.

Round 2. Rosa goes for a takedown. He gets Burgos down, but Rosa pops back up quickly. Rosa continues to utilize his kicks and that is opening up more opportunities for his punches. Burgos is undeterred as far as moving forward, but he isn’t connecting in the second as well as he did in the first. Rosa lands a spinning back fist late. 10-9 Rosa.

Round 3. Burgos drops Rosa with a hook and smells blood. He pursues aggressively with punches and after another hard hook, the referee steps in for the stoppage. Rosa protests immediately — it’s easy to understand why he wanted to continue, but he was eating some brutal shots.

Winner: Shane Burgos, TKO, round 3.

Burgos is an exciting fighter to watch with his style and power. Against higher-end opponents, his relatively one-dimensional offensive style could be a problem, but he has a true fighter’s disposition and was impressive here.

Patrick Cummins looked like he might be in over his head early against Jan Blachowicz. Blachowicz hurt Cummins repeatedly with punches and appeared like he might be able to get the finish. However, Cummins persevered. Cummins utilized his wrestling to take Blachowicz down repeatedly and scored the come-from-behind victory via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28).

Gregor Gillespie, a Rochester, N.Y., native, wanted to make the most of his opportunity to fight close to home in Buffalo. Gillespie did just that, securing the first knockout win of his career in just 21 seconds over Andrew Holbrook. Gillespie rocked Holbrook with a punch on the feet and then finished the fight with additional punches on the ground in emphatic fashion. It was the sort of win that will generate buzz for the undefeated former NCAA Division I wrestling champion.

For years, Desmond Green has worked his way toward MMA’s biggest stage in the UFC. After extended tenures in Bellator MMA and Titan FC, Green finally earned his UFC opportunity at UFC 210 and made the most of it. Green was the underdog against formerly undefeated Josh Emmett, but Green’s volume striking was too much for Emmett and Green picked up the split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).

In one of the closest fights you’re ever going to see, Katlyn Chookagian picked up a split decision win against Irene Aldana (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). The fight was a back-and-forth kickboxing bout where neither fighter was able to impose her will on the other. Head strikes were even at 57-57, reflecting how even the contest was. Chookagian improved to 9-1 in MMA while Aldana is now 7-4.

Undefeated Russian prospect Magomed Bibulatov was successful in his UFC debut, taking a unanimous decision victory over Jenel Lausa on straight 29-26 cards. Bibulatov utilized more diverse striking to capture the first round and then grounded the overmatched Lausa in the second and third. Bibulatov improves to 14-0, while Lausa fell to 7-3.

Daniel Cormier tries to take down Anthony Johnson during their light-heavyweight bout on May 23, 2015, in Las Vegas.

(John Locher / Associated Press)

Anthony Johnson says he expects to become the new light-heavyweight champion Saturday night at UFC 210 in Buffalo, N.Y., because he’s a different fighter than he was in losing to champion Daniel Cormier two years ago.

Elevating to the moment, and the belt, also has something to do with becoming a better person, Johnson says.

“I mind my business more than I ever have. I pay more mind to whom I associate with,” Johnson, 33, said. “I’m to the point, I say, ‘Screw it, I’ve been through the ringer and survived it.’ I’ll always keep fighting, keep being myself and be as respectful as I can be to stay as true to myself as I can and stay humble.”

Johnson pleaded no contest to a 2009 domestic violence case involving a former girlfriend and got into a dispute with a woman whose yoga mat he threw during a 2015 workout at a gym.

But Johnson, who has piled up three impressive UFC victories, says he has avoided such trouble.

“I feel at peace. I’m seriously happy, dude, and I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. I definitely feel like it’s my time right now,” Johnson said.

“I learned you can’t control everything. You’ve got to roll with the dice sometimes…. Nobody’s bothering me anymore. I’m happy. I’m in a better place. I’m stress-free.”

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