New champ Cormier lauds 'nice guy' Johnson

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson showed his class when, just minutes after losing to Daniel Cormier in their UFC 187 showdown for the UFC light-heavyweight title, he took the initiative of putting the gold belt around his victorious opponent's waist.

Cormier won their main event fight by submitting Johnson in the third round. It was Johnson's first loss since January 2012, yet he showed no ill will towards the new champion.

Cormier could not help but express his admiration for Johnson in an appearance on The MMA Hour, telling Ariel Helwani that Johnson was "a nice guy."

"I think maybe, he showed exactly how nice he is by behaving in the way that he did," he said. "A lot of times, losing a fight is tough."

"In your darkest hours, I guess your true colors show. And Anthony Johnson is made of gold, if you ask me, for the way that he handled that," he added.

For Cormier, having his beaten opponent wrap the belt around his waist "made my experience different."

It is usually UFC president Dana White who puts the belt on the champion.

"By putting on the belt, he made my experience of being crowned a champion different than anyone else in the UFC's history," said Cormier. "Nobody has done that."

"So thank you, Anthony Johnson, for making my experience different. I appreciate it, and I appreciate you," he added.

After beating Johnson – and with former champion Jon Jones still suspended – Cormier is setting his sights on other contenders for the belt.

"All these guys are in play now. We'll see how long Jon's situation takes, even if he does come back. I win the fight against Jon, I win the rematch, I can still fight all these new guys," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

New champ Cormier expects to fight Jon Jones again

New UFC light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is convinced that he will one day face former titleholder Jon Jones again – that is, once "Bones" has gotten his life in order.

Jones was suspended and stripped of his title by the UFC after his involvement in a hit-and-run incident in Albuquerque, and Cormier wound up taking his place at UFC 187, where he faced Anthony Johnson for the now-vacant belt.

Cormier survived an onslaught by Johnson in the opening round and went on to win by submission in the third when he forced "Rumble" to tap to a rear-naked choke.

After his win, Cormier sent a short but blunt statement to Jones: "Jon Jones, get your sh*t together, I'm waiting for you!"

"It's unfortunate, but I believe he'll get his stuff together, and him and I will fight again," Cormier said in the post-fight press conference, as quoted by MMA Fighting.

"I said, I'm the kid at the wrestling tournament who's always in your bracket. It's not just one tournament. It's over the course of the year," he added.

Jones had already beaten Cormier when they first fought in January, which the new champion compared to being defeated "at a dual meet at a regional tournament."

"But there's still a state tournament and a national tournament. So there's plenty of times for him and I to compete against each other," he added.

At the same time, Cormier made it clear that although he did not beat Jones, his claim on the light-heavyweight belt is still legitimate.

"You see what's sitting right there? That's a gold belt," Cormier said. "That thing's reserved for the UFC champion."

"I didn't disqualify myself from competition. Jon did. Jon's the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. We all know that," he added.

"But he disqualified himself from this competition right now, so I am the champion. I'm very proud of what I accomplished tonight," he stressed.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cormier submits Johnson to nab UFC title

It took him two attempts, but Daniel Cormier was finally able to claim the UFC light-heavyweight championship.

Cormier forced Anthony "Rumble" Johnson to submit to a rear naked choke in the third round of their main event showdown at UFC 187 to become the new light-heavyweight champion.

It was a quick turnaround for Cormier, who in January lost to Jon "Bones" Jones in his first attempt to gain the UFC gold. Jones was then supposed to defend his belt against Johnson, but was stripped of his title and suspended by the UFC for a hit-and-run incident in Albuquerque, Texas.

Cormier stepped up to face Johnson for the now-vacant UFC title, and despite fighting on short notice, he was able to come away with the victory.

It was Johnson, however, who got off to a better start, even briefly dropping Cormier in the opening round with a huge right hand.

"DC" regained control in second ground, and began to use his world-class wrestling skills to dominate "Rumble." He tried to lock in a submission – including at one point, a kimura – but Johnson was able to escape.

In the third round, Cormier was finally able to lock in a rear naked choke, forcing Johnson to tap at the 2:39 mark.

Johnson, who lost for the first time since January 2012, was all class following his defeat, and even put the belt on Cormier himself.

Following his victory, Cormier turned his sights to the man who had beaten him a few months ago.

"Jon Jones, get your sh*t together, I'm waiting for you," he shouted before turning to celebrate with his team.

Cormier improved his record to 16-1; Johnson, for his part, dropped to 19-5.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com