CORMIER WILL LOOK TO PUT THE PRESSURE ON JOHNSON FROM THE OPENING BELL. HE IS VERY CONTROLLED IN HIS APPROACH STAYING JUST OUTSIDE JOHNSONS EFFECTIVE RANGE OR IN CONTINUOUS ATTACK.
WHILE ON THE OUTSIDE OF JOHNSONS RANGE, CORMIER CAN READ JOHNSONS STANDUP EASILY USING HIS STRIKES FOR TAKEDOWN OPENINGS. IN ROUND 1 OF THEIR FIRST FIGHT, AFTER GETTING DROPPED, CORMIER USED A RIGHT HOOK JOHNSON TELEGRAPHED AND OVERCOMMITTED ON AS A SHRUG TO DUCK AND GET BEHIND JOHNSON, TAKING HIS BACK. END OF ROUND 1, LAST MINUTE OR SO, CORMIER DUCKS ANOTHER HOOK AND INITIATES CONTACT, SMOTHERING JOHNSONS POWER, CORMIER DOES THIS CONTINUOUSLY, HE DOESNT EVEN REALLY NEED THE TAKEDOWN. HE COUNTER-GRAPPLES BETTER THAN ANDERSON SILVA COUNTER-STRIKES IN RESPONSE TO THREATS. CORMIERS STRIKES ON THE OUTSIDE ARENT TRUE THREATS, HE JABS, HE LEG KICKS BUT HE TRULY WANTS YOU TO ATTEMPT TO THROW THAT OVERHAND COUNTER TO HIS JAB OR TRY TO THROW THE CROSS COUNTER ON THE LEG KICK SO HE CAN INITIATE CONTACT. HE DOES HAVE THREE STRONG OUTSIDE STRIKES, A QUICK STRONG RIGHT HAND, A BODY KICK AND SURPRISINGLY A HEAD KICK.
WHILE ON THE CONTINUOUS ATTACK CORMIER BOXES VERY WELL, HE CHANGES SPEED(OF MOVEMENT AND PUNCHES), HE FIGHTS BEHIND HIS JAB, HAS GOOD COMBINATIONS, QUICK STRONG RIGHT, BODY PUNCHES, AND DIRTY BOXING IN THE CLINCH, HE ESPECIALLY LIKES HIS UPPERCUTS. DEFENSIVELY, HE MOVES HS HEAD, ALWAYS HAS HIS HANDS UP, USES HIS SHOULDERS, PARRYS VERY WELL, FEINTS HIS HANDS, FEINTS HIS TAKEDOWNS, CONTROLS THE DISTANCE AND HAS AN IRON CHIN. I DONT THINK CORMIER IS GOING TO TRY TO STRIKE WITH JOHNSON, HES TOO SMART, HE'LL COUNTER-GRAPPLE OFF JOHNSONS STRIKES FROM RANGE BUT I DARE SAY HE COULD STRIKE WITH JOHNSON IN MMA AND WIN.
NOW ON TO CORMIERS GRAPPLING. UNIVERSE CLASS. UPON ANY CONTACT CORMIER BECOMES STUCK TO YOU. HE'LL GET A BODY LOCK, SHIFT HIS WEIGHT LEFT TO RIGHT TO DRAG HIS OPPONENT TO THE GROUND, IF THAT DOESNT WORK THEN HE'LL SWITCH TO TRIP, IF THAT DOESNT WORK HE'LL TRY A SLAM FROM BODYLOCK, F THAT DOESNT WORK, HE'LL SWITCH TO DOUBLE AS YOU BREAK THE BODYLOCK(BUT REALLY HE BROKE IT), IF THAT DOESNT WORK HE'LL GO SINGLE LEG, THEN HIGH CROTCH, THEN HIGH CROTCH SLAM AND SO ON UNTIL YOU'RE DOWN. HE IS VERY HARD TO ESCAPE ONCE HE HAS HS HAND ON YOU.
ON THE GROUND CORMIER PURPOSELY LOOKS TO CUT YOU IMMEDIATELY WITH HIS GNP. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE KO AT FIRST, KOS ARE HARD TO GET AND CUTTING YOUR OPPONENT EARLY GIVES YOU MANY EDGES AS THE FIGHT GOES ON, MAKING THE FINISH COME TO HIM. CORMIER MAKES TAKING THE BACK A PRIORITY, THE RNC IS HIS FAVORITE SUB AND JOHNSONS MOST HATED,
CORMIER LOSES THIS FIGHT ONLY BY KO. JOHNSON WILL FIND IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO LAND CLEANLY AND JOHNSON MUST KO CORMIER COLD, CORMIER WONT QUIT FOR HIM. I BELIEVE RUMBLE HAS 3 STRIKES THAT CAN STOP CORMIER. JOHNSONS RIGHT HAND HAS THE POWER AND JOHNSON USUALLY LANDS IT BUT A NAKED RIGHT WONT WORK, HE HAS TO WORK BEHIND A JAB, FEINT STRIKES AND TAKEDOWNS TO DISTRACT CORMIER OR HE'LL JUST GET TAKEN DOWN. JOHNSONS HEAD KICK, SPEAKS FOR ITSELF REALLY, EVEN IF YOU BLOCK IT YOU ARENT HAPPY ABOUT IT AND IT COMES FAST WITH SETUPS SOMETIMES. LASTLY, CORMIER DIPS HIS HEAD FAR SOMETIMES AND IF JOHNSONS AWARE HE MAY BE ABLE TO HT H WITH A KNEE, SO ESSENTIALLY, IN MY MIND, JOHNSON ONLY WINS BY RIGHT HAND, HEAD KICK OR KNEE AND THEY WILL ALL BE HARD TO PLACE.
THINK CORMIER SUB RD 3 OR 4.
