UFC 214 predictions, Jones vs. Cormier fight card, expert picks, prelims, odds
The rematch fight fans have waited years for will finally go down this Saturday in Anaheim, California
It has almost become a tired hand. Fight fans have watched Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier scream at each other in the buildup for a title fight on five separate occasions. Yet, Wednesday's press conference -- likely the final between the two bitter rivals -- didn't feel like the end of the Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor international press tour where the two fighters were clearly out of material. Jones and Cormier still have plenty of things to say to each other.
Asked about whether or not he will have trouble with the weight cut on Friday, Cormier joked that he will bring a towel just in case, referring to the controversy surrounding his last title defense where he missed weight and then two minutes later magically lost 1.2 pounds.
"That's not funny bro," Jones said as Cormier laughed. "You should have given your opponent 20 percent of your fight check. You can forever say that you are the 206.2-pound champion of the world."
One thing is for certain, these two truly do not like each other and that should have fight fans giddy for Saturday's showdown at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The top two light heavyweights in MMA will headline with five-fight main card set to start at 10 p.m. ET which also features two more title fights.
Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will look to establish himself as a legitimate champion in the eyes of fight fans and the company when he squares off with veteran Demian Maia. It's the first time in his last six fights that Woodley will be considered the betting favorite. Plus, Cris "Cyborg" Justino will look to finally earn a UFC belt when she squares off with Invicta FC bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger for the 145-pound belt.
If that's not good enough, we will also get an absolute brawl when welterweights Donald Cerrone and Robbie Lawler meet in a fight that was rescheduled twice. Let's take a look at the full fight card with the latest odds from Bovada.
UFC 214 fight card
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightlcass |
|---|---|---|
Jon Jones -270 | Daniel Cormier (c) +210 | Light heavyweight title |
Tyron Woodley (c) -210 | Demian Maia +170 | Welterweight title |
Cris Cyborg -1200 | Tonya Evinger +700 | Women's featherweight title |
Robbie Lawler -160 | Donald Cerrone +130 | Welterweight |
Jimi Manuwa -185 | Volkan Oezdemir +150 | Light heavyweight |
Jason Knight -135 | Ricardo Lamas +105 | Featherweight |
Aljamain Sterling -130 | Renan Barao +100 | Catchweight (140 pounds) |
Renato Moicano -155 | Brian Ortega +125 | Featherweight |
Andre Fili -375 | Calvin Kattar +285 | Featherweight |
Alexandra Albu -165 | Kailin Curran +135 | Women's bantamweight |
| Jarred Brooks -155 | Eric Shelton +125 | Flyweight |
Drew Dober -350 | Joshua Burkman +265 | Lightweight |
With a big card on tap, our experts took a crack at picking each of the main card fights. Here are your pick makers: Bill Reiter (national columnist), Brian Campbell (combat sports writer), Matthew Coca (producer), Michael Mormile (producer), and Brandon Wise (editor).
| Fight | Reiter | Campbell | Coca | Mormile | Wise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jones vs. Cormier (c) | Cormier | Jones | Jones | Cormier | Jones |
Woodley (c) vs. Maia | Woodley | Woodley | Woodley | Woodley | Woodley |
Cyborg vs. Evinger | Cyborg | Cyborg | Cyborg | Cyborg | Cyborg |
Lawler vs. Cerrone | Cerrone | Lawler | Lawler | Lawler | Cerrone |
Manuwa vs. Oezdemir | Manuwa | Manuwa | Manuwa | Manuwa | Oezdemir |
Campbell on why Jones will win: Ring rust certainly has the possibility of playing a negative factor for Jones, just as much as age and two extra years of grinding and damage could play against Cormier in comparison to their first fight in 2015. But at the end of the day, Jones is just a more dynamic and better fighter, enough so that it's hard to look past that fact. And if Cormier is unable to out-wrestle Jones -- just like in their first fight -- it severely limits his avenue for victory. Even if Jones isn't the full version of the G.O.A.T. he once was, he has enough intangibles (including reach, cardio and an uncanny ability to bite down) to win out.
Mormile on why Cormier will win: Ring rust is real and Jones' extended absence over the last year will hurt him in this 25-minute bout. In Jones' last fight, he didn't look like that invincible Jon Jones we are used to and he was facing an average light heavyweight in Ovince Saint Preux. I believe there is a lot of pressure on Jones to come out and dominate, but I think Cormier is going to squeak out a decision.
Wise on why Cyborg will win: This feels like a glorified coronation for Cris "Cyborg" Justino. A title that probably should have been hers for the past year, Cyborg will face a fighter who has never fought at the 145-pound limit in her 25 professional fights. Although she was expecting to face a different opponent (Megan Anderson), Cyborg should have no issue in earning the UFC belt that is rightfully hers and this fight shouldn't last more than two rounds.
