Page 21 - ARUBA TODAY

A21
SPORTS Monday 10 april 2017

Cormier retains light heavyweight belt, retires Johnson

DAN GELSTON said. “Jon Jones, as a fight-
AP Sports Writer er, I respect you, but we
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — With don’t see eye to eye.”
a vicious choke, Daniel Jones looked on from ca-
Cormier forced Anthony geside and stretched his
Johnson into submission arms in approval as the sell-
and retirement. out crowd of 17,110 went
Cormier’s next title chal- wild for the former cham-
lenger? pion. Three months from
Pick a fighter outside of the completing a yearlong
cage. doping ban, Jones said he
Cormier easily defeated was focused on reclaiming
“Rumble” Johnson for the the light heavyweight title
second time in two years, he’s lost twice due to sus-
using a rear naked choke pensions.
to retain the light heavy- Cormier wanted nothing
weight championship in to do with Jones’ postur-
the main event of UFC 210 ing, saying, “don’t talk to
on Saturday night. me about a guy who’s in-
With tears in his eyes, John- eligible. When you get your
son announced his retire- (act) together, I’ll be here
ment inside the octagon, waiting to fight.”
saying “it’s time for me to Cormier was awarded the
do something else.” light heavyweight belt only Daniel Cormier, right, tries to avoid a punch from Anthony Johnson during a light heavyweight
It’s time for Cormier to fig- after Jones was stripped mixed martial arts bout at UFC 210, early Sunday, April 9, 2017, in Buffalo, N.Y.
ure out what’s next — and of it in early 2015, when he (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
he has options for a major was suspended by the UFC
fight later this year. following his involvement in seat and hung out with sev- ing at Jones, who was 19-fight MMA career came
Cormier jawed with No. a hit-and-run accident in eral members of the Buffalo seated in the front row. against Jones in 2015.
4 ranked contender Jimi Albuquerque, New Mexico. Bills“I’m not going in that Cormier began yelling at Cormier edged Johnson
Manuwa immediately after Jones had successfully de- cage. I’ll leave that man Jones, which was inau- at UFC 187 in 2015 by sub-
the bout and then talked fended his title eight times alone. Let him enjoy his dible over the roar of the mission, and he won with
trash with perhaps the class through 2013. But he’s night,” Jones said. “I want crowd. Jones looked up a rear naked choke in the
— and considered, the un- fought just three times over to talk to my business part- and smiled. Then Cormier second round at the Key-
crowned champ —of the the past four years. ners, talk to the UFC and said something and smiled, Bank Center.The 33-year-
division, Jon Jones. He had joked that he see what they want to do.” too, before walking back old Johnson said he was
“Jimi Manuwa, you don’t would confront Cormier in After Cormier’s interview the other way. moving on an unspecified
want any of this,” Cormier the cage but stayed in his was over, he started point- Cormier’s lone loss in a non-MMA venture.q
Lomachenko makes easy work of Sosa before 9th-rd TKO

IAN QUILLEN Lomachenko says he’s ea- ing event at the MGM Na- to the delight of fans who Lomachenko his only de-
Associated Press ger to unify titles. tional Harbor. chanted his name and feat in his second fight as a
OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — Sosa (20-2-4) was a WBA And Oleksandr Gvozdyk “Ooo-Cray-Nee-Ahh” professional, but only after
Frustrated that he can’t get belt holder at 130 pounds, (13-0, 11 KOs) won by throughout while waving Salido failed to make the
fights against the oppo- but was forced to vacate a third-round technical blue and gold Ukrainian 126-pound weight limit.
nents he wants, Vasyl Lom- to take this fight. knockout over Yuniesky national flags. “The first fight was like a
achenko took his frustration “I’ll go home, rest, and then Gonzalez to complete the By the ninth, it had be- 3rd-grader fighting a 12th-
out on Jason Sosa. I want to negotiate with all Ukrainain sweep and unify come clear to Sosa’s cor- grader,” Lomechnko said.
Lomachenko (8-1, 6 KOs) the other champions in the NABF and NABO light ner that this was a no-win “I’ve now graduated to the
dominated his WBO junior my division,” Lomachenko heavyweight belts. proposition.“I couldn’t re- university, and I want to in-
lightweight title defense said. “If they refuse to fight In front of a heavy Ukraini- ally execute,” Sosa said. vite Salido to my university.”
before Sosa’s own corner me, I’m going to move an contingent in a sell-out “He’s a great fighter.” Earlier, Usyk appeared
stopped the fight after the up to 135.”Aleksandr Usyk crowd of 2,828, Lomachen- That’s what many thought close to a knockout several
ninth round, completing a (12-0) defended his WBO ko battered Sosa, who fin- all along, and Lomachen- times in the latter rounds
three-fight Ukrainian sweep cruiserweight title with a ished with a badly swollen ko’s promoters would’ve of his bout.n the 12th, he
on Saturday night. 117-110 unanimous deci- left eye. rather seen a rematch with punched Hunter into the
After a bout in which even sion over Mike Hunter (12-1) At one point in the sixth Orlando Salido or a unifi- ropes and was awarded a
Sosa’s corner admitted in the first fight of an HBO TV round, he mocked Sosa cation bout with Jezreel knockdown from referee
they were the third choice, card and the maiden box- with a matador gesture, Corrales.Salido handed Bill Clancy q