UFC light heavyweight champion and two-time Olympian Daniel Cormier looks to make his first title defense when he takes on Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192 on Saturday, October 3, 2015 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
In the co-main event, former welterweight champion, Johny Hendricks faces Tyron Woodley in a battle that could determine the next challenger for the 170 pound championship. Setting the stage for the top two fights of the evening, light heavyweight Ryan Bader welcomes former champion, Rashad Evans back to the Octagon in another battle with important title implications.
After obtaining the vacant light heavyweight title with a submission win over the divisions number one contender Anthony Johnson, Daniel Cormier will be making his first title defense against the tough Swede, currently ranked number two, Alexander Gustafsson.
The former Olympian, Cormier, wants to add “The Mauler” to an already impressive list of victories which include the likes of Dan Henderson, Frank Mir, and Josh Barnett in addition to Anthony Johnson. Gustafsson is back in a title fight nearly two years after a fight of the year performance with former champion Jon Jones in 2013.
With 10 knockout victories and eight first round finishes to his credit, the fighting pride of Sweden wants Cormier’s title reign to be brief and make the most of a second opportunity to become the UFC light heavyweight champion.
Former welterweight champion and hard hitting top contender, Johny Hendricks fights in his home state of Texas against third ranked Tyron Woodley. Hendricks, who is coming off a win against an always game Matt Brown, has his sights set on regaining what he feels is rightfully his, the 170 pound championship.
Woodley, who has won four of his last five including TKO victories over Carlos Condit and Josh Koscheck, packs an equally powerful punch and looks to prove that with a win over what would be his toughest fight of his career.
In what very well could serve as another title eliminator at UFC 192, streaking fourth ranked Ryan Bader welcomes former champion Rashad Evans to the Octagon. Bader has blasted his way up the ranks with four straight wins including notable victories over Ovince Saint Preux and Phil Davis.
After 16 career bouts in the UFC, Bader may finally see himself on the doorstep of a title shot with a win over Evans. Known as “Suga”, Evans is making his return from an almost two year injury layoff. Before he went down, he racked up victories over the likes of Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen. If Evans can score a win over Bader, he will be back in the mix at 205-pounds.
The main card will be kicked off by a women’s bantamweight clash between Jessica Eye and Julianna Pena. “The Venezuelan Vixen” is seen by many with a lot of potential to make her way toward the top of the division after she won season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter. Eye looks to stifle Pena’s rise to the top-10 of the division.
The UFC presents an exciting line up of fights as the end of the year approaches. What are your UFC 192 predictions?
