Sherdog.com’s 2015 Event of the Year

4. UFC 192 “Cormier vs. Gustafsson”
Saturday, Oct. 3
Toyota Center | Houston
Theirs was a five-round clash for Ultimate Fighting Championship gold that will not soon be forgotten. Daniel Cormier retained the undisputed light heavyweight crown with a split decision against Alexander Gustafsson in the UFC 192 headliner on Oct. 3 at the Toyota Center in Houston. Scores were 48-47 and 49-46 for Cormier, 48-47 for Gustafsson. The two men engaged in a remarkable war of wills across five grueling rounds. Cormier set the early pace, as he delivered a slam takedown -- Gustafsson was vertical at one point, his head pointed toward the mat -- in the first round. The Swede answered back, cutting Cormier near his right eye with a left hook in the second before flooring him with a knee strike and follow-up punches in the third. The champion took Gustafsson’s best shots and did not blink.

Cormier found the inner strength and resolve to press through fatigue and considerable damage in the fourth and fifth rounds. He sucked Gustafsson into the single collar tie -- the site of his greatest success in the fight -- and bludgeoned him with right uppercuts to the face while clutching the back of his head with his free hand. By the end of the bout, Gustafsson was suffering from severe swelling to both eyes and a nasty gash across the bridge of his nose.

“I feel pretty beat up,” Cormier said at the post-fight press conference. “This is the worst I’ve ever been beat. Gustafsson is a stud.”

In the light heavyweight co-main event, Power MMA Team’s Ryan Bader maintained his upward trajectory at 205 pounds, as he cruised to a unanimous decision over former champion Rashad Evans. All three cageside judges scored it 30-27 for Bader, who never seemed threatened.

Evans looked like a fighter that had not competed in 686 days. In his first appearance since 2013, the Blackzilians cornerstone was routinely beaten to the punch by his younger, fresher adversary. Bader fed him a stiff left jab, mixed in kicks to the body and legs and threaded sneaky right uppercuts through Evans’ defenses. Damage accumulated over time, as “Suga” grew more desperate and less effective. He also surrendered takedowns in the second and third rounds, a clear sign that Bader’s efforts had yielded the desired results.

Other highlights at UFC 192 included Sage Northcutt’s dazzling promotional debut, “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner Julianna Pena’s unanimous decision over Jessica Eye and three other first-round finishes, as Albert Tumenov took out Alan Jouban, Adriano Martins disposed of Islam Makhachev and Rose Namajunas throttled Angela Hill.

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