If Daniel Cormier was out to prove that he is the rightful heir to the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship throne, then mission accomplished!
Running to the TV like… #UFC220 pic.twitter.com/RaiBeKVpqG
— UFC (@ufc) January 21, 2018
In his first title defense since being recrowned Light Heavyweight champ after Jon Jones was stripped of the title, DC absolutely destroyed his opponent, Volkan Oezdemir.
The two touched hands and Oezdemir swung for the fences right away and tagged the champion a couple of times early. The crowd, however, was firmly in DC’s corner, and the champion returned in kind.
Things started to slow down a bit about a minute and a half in. The two clinched but neither went down.
The punching started up again shortly after, though, with both fighters looking to take each other’s head off. Volkan tagged DC with a left. Cormier, however, kept the pressure up, forcing Oezdemir backwards. DC hit the challenger with some huge shots and Volkan was hurt. With only thirty seconds left Cormier hit him with another big right and took his opponent down after a struggle. Cormier then locked in an RNC, but Volkan was saved by the bell.
Volkan wasn’t so lucky in the second. Round 2 opened up to shouts of “Let’s go DC.” Cormier tripped the challenger and landed on top of him in full mount. Oezdemir struggled to get out, but it was pick your poison: either stay on your back and let DC pound away, or give up your back and risk getting another RNC. Volkan decided on the former. Cormier held Volkan down in a crucifix and pounded away on Oezdemir’s face. Volkan was helpless and could do little more than squirm, leaving the referee no choice but to end the fight early in the second.
Winner by TKO and still UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Daniel “DC” Cormier!
