UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Ariel Helwhiney
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Introduction
UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier. May 23, 2015. MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. The event was originally headlined by Jon Jones (c) defending the LHW title against Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson. On April 26, Jones was named a suspect in a hit-and-run car accident in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A pregnant woman sustained a broken arm. Jones had fled the scene before returning to retrieve a large handful of cash. On April 28, the UFC stripped Jones of the title and suspended him indefinitely. Daniel Cormier replaced him.
Cormier submitted Johnson by rear-naked choke in round three to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion — only four months after losing to Jones at UFC 182. In the co-main event, Chris Weidman retained the MW title with a dominant first-round TKO of Vitor Belfort. Donald Cerrone extended his win streak to eight with a second-round TKO of John Makdessi. Islam Makhachev also debuted with a submission win.
Contents
Quick Stats
Date: May 23, 2015
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Original Main Event: Jon Jones (c) vs. Anthony Johnson — LHW Championship; Jones stripped April 28
Main Event: Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson — Vacant LHW Championship
Result: Cormier def. Johnson — Sub (RNC) R3, 2:39 — Cormier new LHW champion (4 months after losing to Jones); Johnson dropped Cormier in R1 with right cross; Cormier survived, dominated R2-R3
Co-Main: Weidman def. Belfort — TKO (GnP) R1, 2:53 — MW Championship; Weidman 13-0
Jones context: Hit-and-run Albuquerque, NM; pregnant woman broke arm; Jones fled scene, returned for cash; felony charge; $2,500 bail; came after cocaine metabolite positive at UFC 182
Bonuses: FOTN: Arlovski/Browne ($50k each); POTN: Cormier + Weidman ($50k each)
The Build-Up
Jones’s arc in the months before UFC 187 was one of the sport’s most dramatic falls: a cocaine metabolite positive test before UFC 182 (not banned out of competition, result stood), a post-fight crotch-chop taunt of Cormier, and then on April 26, 2015, a hit-and-run car accident in Albuquerque, NM. A pregnant woman in the car he struck suffered a broken arm. Jones fled the scene. He then returned to retrieve cash. Arrested and charged with felony hit-and-run (up to three years). Bail: $2,500.
The UFC stripped Jones on April 28. Cormier’s most recent competitive result was a 49-46 unanimous decision loss to the man who had just been stripped. Despite that, Cormier stepped in and fought Anthony Johnson — the most dangerous knockout artist in the LHW division — for the vacant title.
Main Event
Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson — Vacant LHW Championship
Johnson came out pumping the jab in round one. He dropped Cormier with a clean right cross moments into the fight. Cormier went down but was not badly hurt. He recovered, shot for a single-leg takedown, and slammed Johnson to the canvas. The scramble neutralised Johnson’s momentum and ended R1 competitively.
Round two was Cormier’s. He grounded Johnson and worked him with elbows and short punches. Johnson was bleeding badly from his left eye by the end of the round. Round three: Johnson briefly landed a takedown but Cormier rose immediately. He took Johnson’s back against the fence and sank a rear-naked choke. Johnson tapped at 2:39. Daniel Cormier was the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.
Post-fight, Cormier delivered one of the sport’s most memorable post-fight promos, addressing Jon Jones directly: ‘You stripped yourself of that belt. I didn’t take it from you — you gave it to me.’
Co-Main Event
Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort — UFC MW Championship
Belfort opened with an aggressive combination that cut Weidman above the eye. The early pressure suggested the brief window when Belfort was dangerous. Weidman covered up, absorbed the shots, and immediately shot for a double-leg takedown. He passed to full mount, rained elbows and punches, moved to back mount briefly, then returned to full mount for more ground-and-pound. Belfort turned away. Referee Herb Dean stopped it at 2:53. Weidman: 13-0 in professional MMA. Without TRT (banned since 2014), Belfort’s era of dominance was over.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Islam Makhachev def. Leo Kuntz — Sub (RNC) — R2, 2:38 — LW; Makhachev UFC debut; future UFC LW champion
Colby Covington def. Mike Pyle — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — WW; early Covington UFC career
Rose Namajunas def. Tecia Torres — Decision — R3 — WSW
Main Card
Andrei Arlovski def. Travis Browne — TKO — R1 — HW; wild brawl; FOTN ($50k each); Sherdog Round of the Year 2015
Donald Cerrone def. John Makdessi — TKO (Head Kick) — R2 — LW; head kick broke Makdessi’s jaw; Cerrone 8-fight win streak
Chris Weidman def. Vitor Belfort — TKO (GnP) — R1, 2:53 — MW Championship; POTN ($50k); Weidman 13-0
Daniel Cormier def. Anthony Johnson — Sub (RNC) — R3, 2:39 — Vacant LHW Championship; Cormier new champion; POTN ($50k)
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Andrei Arlovski vs. Travis Browne — $50,000 to each fighter.
Performance of the Night: Daniel Cormier + Chris Weidman — $50,000 each.
Records & Milestones
Daniel Cormier — became the 12th UFC LHW Champion; only 4 months after losing to Jones by 49-46 x3. First fighter to win the LHW title without ever defeating Jon Jones.
Jon Jones — stripped of the LHW title without losing a fight; remains the only UFC champion to be stripped under these circumstances (hit-and-run + prior cocaine metabolite test). His record inside the cage: 21-1 (1 NC).
Chris Weidman — 13-0 professional record; fifth MW title defence. Without TRT, Vitor Belfort’s punching power was noticeably reduced; he posed little sustained threat in the first round.
Islam Makhachev — UFC debut submission win; later became UFC LW Champion at UFC 280 in October 2022, defeating Charles Oliveira for the title.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 187 is the event where the Jones era formally ended — not with a loss inside the cage, but with a hit-and-run accident and a felony charge. Jones had been stripped of every sponsorship, his title, and his reputation within 18 months of his most dominant performance (UFC 182). Cormier’s title win validated everything the former Olympian had worked for, and his post-fight speech directly to Jones was one of the sport’s most delivered moments.
The card delivered on every level: a turbulent LHW title fight where the new champion was knocked down in the first round, a dominant MW title defence, a wild HW war between Arlovski and Browne (Round of the Year), and early-career appearances from two future champions — Islam Makhachev and Colby Covington.
FAQ
Why was Jon Jones stripped before UFC 187?
On April 26, 2015, Jones was named a suspect in a hit-and-run car accident in Albuquerque, NM. A pregnant woman suffered a broken arm. Jones fled the scene and later returned to retrieve cash before leaving again. He was charged with felony hit-and-run (up to 3 years). The UFC stripped him on April 28.
Did Johnson drop Cormier in the first round of UFC 187?
Yes. Johnson landed a clean right cross early in round one that put Cormier on the canvas briefly. Cormier recovered, shot for a takedown, and slammed Johnson to the mat, ending the dangerous sequence. He dominated rounds two and three to win by RNC.
Why was Belfort considered dangerous without TRT?
Vitor Belfort had used testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in his 2011-2013 run, generating massive knockout power. The NSAC banned TRT in January 2014. Without it, Belfort’s explosive power diminished significantly. Against Weidman, he landed early shots but gassed and was TKO’d inside three minutes.
What did Cormier say about Jones after UFC 187?
Cormier delivered one of the sport’s most quoted post-fight promos, addressing Jones directly: ‘You stripped yourself of that belt. I didn’t take it from you — you gave it to me. You gave it to me.’ It became one of the most replayed post-fight moments in UFC history.
Who else debuted or had notable early-career moments at UFC 187?
Islam Makhachev won his UFC debut by submission in round two — the future UFC LW Champion. Colby Covington also fought on the card, winning by UD in the early stages of his UFC career. Rose Namajunas fought in the prelims.
References
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