MANILA, Philippines – Jon "Bones" Jones defeated Daniel Cormier via unanimous decision to successfully defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title for the eighth straight time at UFC 182 in Las Vegas, Nevada Sunday.
After five grueling rounds, the 27-year-old Jones ended up leading all judges' scorecards, 49-46, to claim his 21st victory against a loss and lay claim as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of the UFC.
Jones also remained undefeated in the last six years with his only loss coming at the hands of now retired Matt Hamill in The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights Finale in 2009 when he was disqualified for illegal downward elbows.
“He’s only human,” Jones, who had a word war with Cormier leading to the bout, told ufc.com after the fight. “All the things he talked, it motivated me. Sorry I’m being classless right now, I don’t like DC (cornier).”
For Cormier, a 35-year-old former Olympic wrestler, he was just in his elements on the fight that mattered most.
“I just couldn’t find my rhythm tonight (yesterday)," Cormier said. "Jon is the best for a reason and he was the better man tonight.”
Cormier thus fell to his first defeat after winning his first 15 fights in mixed martial arts.
Asians likewise continued to do well in the octagon after Japanese flyweight contender Kyoji Horiguchi scored a unanimous decision win over Louis Gaudinot.
Horiguchi, a former Shooto bantamweight champion before joining the UFC last year, won all scorecards, 30-27 twice and 29-28, on his way to posting his ninth straight win including four in the UFC to improve to 15-1 (win-loss).