IT WAS ONE of the best fights of the year and after it, Daniel Cormier was still the world light heavyweight champion after a split-decision win over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192.
It was an exhausting battle and Cormier started brightly, despite taking a hit to the eye, and looked set to have little difficulty in keeping hold of his crown. But, just as the Swede did at UFC 165 in his brilliant display against Jon Jones, he stayed in the contest and hurt Cormier with a massive knee and punch in the third.
Still, Cormier responded with some big uppercuts and Gustaffson’s face was badly bloodied by the final bell.
The relentless nature of the fight seemed to take its toll on Gustafsson and he was struggling with fatigue by the fifth.
Afterwards, he praised Cormier:
D.C. is a beast. He proved he can strike. He’s a good boxer, a good stand-up guy. He’s the real champ.”
Meanwhile, Cormier was full of praise for his opponent too.
“Thank you, Alexander Gustafsson. I will forever be indebted to you and your performance tonight. Thank you. Thank you.”
Later, he said, “I left a part of myself in this Octagon tonight.”
Is this the end of Bell?
@David Clarke: for whom the Bell tolls!
@David Clarke: Bell ends his term?
I hear Martin O’Neill’s looking for a job…
He doesn’t seem to have aged at all from the days when he played for Manchester City…
This job is made for the O’Neill and Keane combination.
Noel King maybe? Hahahaha
@Windom Earle: you must be Noel King
John Caulfield could do this
@Trevor Beacom: I think they will be looking for a manager who is competent in playing football on the deck and not route-1 football.
One Bell end they didn’t see coming
“A big loss and a big setback” they didn’t qualify for or win anything did they?
What’s the point of a contract? For the @fai to say we didn’t want him to leave is pure bullshite, obviously ye didn’t care.