UFC 182 weigh-in: Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier save outburst for fight

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 | 6:30 p.m.

The UFC 182 weigh-in carried a different energy and feeling than typical scale-tipping affairs in combat sports, and not just because a Justin Timberlake concert jettisoned the event from the MGM Grand Garden Arena to the property’s Marquee Ballroom.

The final procedure to make tomorrow night’s pay-per-view card official had the characteristics of a slowly detonating bomb. Tension flooded the air over an uneasy crowd awaiting the arrival of combustible enemies Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.

A disquieting semi-hush conquered the area as the first 20 fighters walked to the stage. Frenzy overtook when the video rolled to welcome the world’s two best light heavyweights.

In fitting with the custom, the challenger Cormier came out first. He dashed across the stage, making the 205-pound limit and pacing across half its length with a scowl as the champion Jones emerged.

Jones hit 205 pounds too, but alas, the explosion never occurred.

Jones refused to look in his opponent’s direction when they were supposed to fuse for a stare down. He faced forward, provoking Cormier to turn backwards.

The extra security the UFC purportedly hired for the weigh-in received an easy assignment. There was no possibility of a brawl like from their first face-off, and not even a heated exchange of words like their encounter at Thursday’s press conference — not to each other at least.

“I’m just going to stay undefeated,” Cormier told the crowd in his final comments before the fight. “It’s very telling that these people cheer for me and they don’t even like me. They just hate Jon Jones.”

Cormier drew a higher percentage of cheers to boos, but Jones caused much more commotion with both his supporters and detractors piping up louder.

“I’m just confident,” Jones said. “I definitely have plans on doing great things, and I know great things never come easy.”

Unlike Cormier, Jones acted jovial. He peeked out from behind the curtain before taking the scale, and then threw merchandise to fans near the front row.

His teammate in the co-main event, lightweight Donald Cerrone (155.5), shared a similar disposition. Cerrone was all smiles as he weighed in for his fifth of the year, this one against undefeated fast-riser Myles Jury (155).

Cerrone wore his trademark cowboy hat and boots, one of many veterans on the card that kept up with their reputations. Team Alpha Male lightweight Danny Castillo (156), who meets Paul Felder (156) on the preliminary card, sported his usual tear-away business suit.

“The Bama Beast” bantamweight Marcus Brimage (136), who fights newcomer Cody Garbrandt (135.5), donned a Dragon Ball Z eye shield.

Women’s bantamweight Alexis Dufresne was the only fighter to miss weight, coming in two pounds over the limit at 138. She’ll forfeit 20 percent of her purse to opponent Marion Reneau (135.5).

Check below for full results from the UFC 182 weigh-in.

Light heavyweight championship bout: Jon Jones (205) vs. Daniel Cormier (205)

Lightweight bout: Donald Cerrone (155.5) vs. Myles Jury (155)

Middleweight bout: Brad Tavares (185) vs. Nate Marquardt (185.5)

Flyweight bout: Kyoji Horiguchi (125) vs. Louis Gaudinot (125)

Welterweight bout: Hector Lombard (170.5) vs. Josh Burkman (171)

Lightweight bout: Danny Castillo (156) vs. Paul Felder (156)

Bantamweight bout: Marcus Brimage (136) vs. Cody Garbrandt (135.5)

Heavyweight bout: Shawn Jordan (261) vs. Jared Cannonier (235)

Lightweight bout: Evan Dunham (155.5) vs. Rodrigo Damm (156)

Welterweight bout: Omari Akhmedov (170) vs. Mats Nilsson (171)

Women’s bantamweight bout: Alexis Dufresne (138) vs. Marion Reneau (135.5)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.