By Case Keefer

Published Sat, May 23, 2015 (7:05 p.m.)

Updated Sat, May 23, 2015 (10:08 p.m.)

Note: Full results from the preliminary card available at the bottom of the page.

The UFC began as a way to identify the most dominant martial art.

It didn’t take long to discover that to be one of the best in the world, a fighter needed to be proficient in every area. But if there remains a debate on the most important discipline, those who argue in favor of wrestling got a glistening reference point Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The two title fights headlining UFC 187 were won by world-class wrestlers, and in similar fashion. Light heavyweight Daniel Cormier and middleweight Chris Weidman walked away with the belts after smothering Anthony Johnson and Vitor Belfort, respectively.

“I tried to stand up,” a dejected Belfort said afterward in the octagon. “But I didn’t have it.”

Weidman, a former All-American wrestler at Hofstra University, planted Belfort into the mat a minute into the fight. Belfort had bashed Weidman with a couple of punches on the feet, but the fight was basically over when it hit the ground.

Weidman worked his way into a mount of Belfort and rained elbows and punches until referee Herb Dean stepped in to call the fight. Weidman had stopped Belfort via TKO at 2:53 of the first round.

Johnson lasted longer but could ultimately sympathize with Belfort. Johnson won the first round on most media scorecards, including the Sun’s, by rocking Cormier on the feet and even dropping him early with a right hand.

But Cormier regrouped and slammed Johnson early in the second round, spending the next several minutes exhausting his opponent by staying heavy on top of him. Cormier, a former Olympic wrestler, used the same strategy in the third. He worked his way around to Johnson’s back and eventually forced a tap out with a rear-naked choke at 2:39 of the first round.

“He did everything I thought he would do,” Johnson said. “He talked a lot and backed it up.”

Both Cormier and Weidman yelled animated statements in the octagon after their victories.

“Jon Jones, get your (expletive) together,” Cormier declared to his rival, who was stripped of the light heavyweight belt after an arrest last month. “I’m waiting for you.”

Weidman didn’t go after anyone in particular, but verbally demanded respect after defending his title for the third time and staying perfect at 13-0.

“Stop doubting me,” Weidman bellowed. “Join the team. This is my last invitation.”

UFC 187 might not even be most remembered for the two title fights. Heavyweights Travis Browne and Andrei Arlovski delivered one of the most furious first rounds in UFC history.

It was a genuine slugfest with each fighter wobbly on his feet at different times. The former UFC champion Arlovski pulled off a massive upset in the end, beating his good friend Browne via TKO at 4:41 of the first round.

“I hope it’s not going to affect our friendship,” Arlovski said. “I love him like a brother, and wish him nothing but the best.”

Lightweight Donald Cerrone and flyweight Joseph Benavidez may have fought their way into title shots to open the pay-per-view. Cerrone broke opponent John Makdessi’s jaw with a kick at 4:44 of the second round to win with a TKO.

Benavidez dominated Moraga, winning every round on every judges’ scorecard for a unanimous decision. Benavidez’s background? Wrestling.

“You might be able to hit me,” Weidman said of his mentality. “But I’m going to keep moving forward. You’re not going to break me. I’m going to break you long before I ever break.”

Check back to lasvegassun.com later for more coverage and find a live blog of the action and preliminary results below.

Pre-fight

Daniel Cormier left the MGM Grand Garden Arena in tears the last he fought, thinking he had failed to capitalize on an opportunity that could have proved once in a lifetime.

He never would have believed a second shot at the UFC light heavyweight title was only four months away. Cormier fights Anthony Johnson for the belt stripped from previous opponent Jon Jones in the second of two championship bouts at UFC 187 tonight at the MGM.

The odds have shifted towards a straight pick’em in the main event, making it the 205-pound division’s most evenly matched title fight in nearly seven years.

But judging by the response all week, there might be more anticipation for the fight serving in direct support. The year and a half of waiting for the middleweight championship bout between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort has paid off.

The Brazilians have arrived in Las Vegas in full force to support Belfort, who’s lived in America for more than a decade but remains a superstar in his native country. Weidman’s supporters have been forced to raise their voices to drown out Belfort’s clan at pre-fight events all week.

An encounter between the two fighters at yesterday’s weigh-in riled both fanbases and reignited the animosity. Weidman accused Belfort of cheating during his camp, though no one in the MGM’s Grand Ballroom could even hear his complete thought as cheers and boos engulfed the venue.

Part of the delay for the bout came from Belfort formerly using testosterone replacement therapy and failing a drug test while reportedly cycling off the treatment when the Nevada State Athletic Commission made it illegal. Belfort wants to distance himself from the incident, but Weidman keeps bring it back up.

Weidman remains around a 5-to-1 favorite, making Cormier vs. Johnson the only fight on the main card with close betting odds.

Lightweight mainstay Donald Cerrone commands a big number against John Makdessi in the fight before the two title bouts. Cerrone is on a seven-fight win streak, and could secure a title shot with a victory over Makdessi, who’s known as an inventive striker.

Highly ranked fighters in their respective divisions Travis Browne and Joseph Benavidez are showcased in the opening two bouts of the pay-per-view. Benavidez tries to get into a third flyweight championship bout in a matchup against fellow previous top contender John Moraga.

Browne gets close friend and former teammate Andrei Arlovski in UFC 187’s lone heavyweight bout. Both Cormier and Johnson have fought at heavyweight in the past, but they’re out for a different strap of gold tonight.

Check below for full results from the preliminary card and follow along with the Sun’s live cageside blog of the main card.

John Dodson was rusty after not fighting for nearly a year, but the perennial flyweight contender did just enough against Zach Makovsky. Dodson escaped with a unanimous-decision victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in a listless bout with Makovsky.

The first two rounds may have been slow, but welterweights Dong Hyun Kim and Josh Burkman got in a wild fight in the third. Kim ultimately submitted Burkman with an arm-triangle choke at 2:13 of the third round, but only after a combination of punches and a flying knee nearly knocked him out a minute earlier.

The bitterness between middleweights Rafael Natal and Uriah Hall failed to produce an exciting fight, though it did end in a big upset. Natal defeated Hall by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) in a bout where both fighters were tentative to engage.

Colby Covington outwrestled Mike Pyle, controlling their welterweight bout to score a unanimous-decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) victory. Pyle, a longtime Las Vegas local, nearly came back in the final minute with a deep choke but Covington was able to sweep out of the submission attempt.

The Dagestan takeover of the octagon continued with lightweight Islam Makhachev following in the footsteps of old friend Khabib Nurmagomedov. Makhachev made a memorable first impression, submitting Leo Kuntz via rear naked choke at 2:38 of the second round.

Justin Scoggins defeated Josh Sampo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) in a flyweight bout. Scoggins smothered Sampo with kicks that landed all over the body for 15 minutes.

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

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