Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson II. The matchup is the same as it was in May 2015, but the circumstances surrounding the fight are vastly different.

The two first met at UFC 187 for the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship. Johnson was originally supposed to challenge Jon Jones, but Jones was pulled and stripped of the title due to legal reasons.

Jones's downfall opened the door for Cormier, who survived an early knockdown against Johnson en route to a submission win. Cormier has gone on to defend the title once, while Johnson has roared back with three consecutive knockouts.

UFC 210 on Saturday, inside the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, offers Johnson a second crack at both Cormier and a UFC championship. Both fighters will benefit from a full camp this time, focused on the other.

And in the co-main event, former middleweight champion Chris Weidman will look to snap a two-fight skid against veteran Gegard Mousasi.

Let's take a closer look at UFC 210 in the latest edition of ESPN.com's Cheat Sheets.

Daniel Cormier (18-1) vs. Anthony Johnson (22-5)

Light heavyweight championship odds: Johnson -125; Cormier +105

Jon Jones will host an "exclusive meet and greet" for fans in downtown Buffalo this weekend. Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

The Jon Jones situation

Several hours before Daniel Cormier attempts to defend his title against Anthony Johnson, former champion Jon Jones will host an "exclusive meet and greet" for fans in downtown Buffalo.

Supporters will pay $99 to $149 to meet, shake hands and take a photo with Jones, who has fought just once in two years and is currently serving a suspension.

Cormier and Johnson are both used to fielding questions about Jones by now -- Cormier in particular. And the current champion says he doesn't mind that Jones will be in town for the event, doesn't even mind talking about him. But he wishes the questions would reflect reality.

"We've got to stop saying, 'Regardless of what happened,'" said Cormier, on Jones's issues away from the cage. "We know what happened. We know exactly what he did. We know the bad things he did. So, to stay stuff like, 'Regardless of what happened' or to not state the facts, it's almost like we're sweeping it under the rug.

"We know what he did. We know he tried to cheat. We know all this stuff. Why are you asking me about a guy that, three days before we were supposed to fight [at UFC 200 last July], pissed hot? That's the stuff that annoys me. He's a great fighter, but you cheated. You also smashed into somebody's car and ran away.

"I know what you did. If everybody else wants to ignore it, they can. I'm not."

Jones is eligible to return to competition on July 6. He is serving a one-year suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, which he says was caused by an unmarked sexual enhancement pill he received from a friend. Prior to that, he was stripped of the title due to a hit-and-run incident in 2015.

It seems unfair to Cormier and Johnson to insert Jones into the UFC 210 discussion, but both readily admit they've come to expect it and even understand it. Before his downfall, Jones had dominated the division, with eight title defenses.

Cormier lost to Jones via unanimous decision in early 2015, prior to claiming the title, and has acknowledged how important it is to eventually even the score.

"We're talking about a rivalry with a guy that many consider the greatest fighter of all time," Cormier said. "Wins over a guy like Jon Jones is what's going to really, probably be the one thing that solidifies where I'm trying to sit whenever I retire from the sport."

So, Jones will be in the conversation, even though he won't be in the Octagon on Saturday. The defending champ just asks that everyone remember why that is.

"I think it's desperate, but I don't care," said Cormier, on Jones's fan experience package. "He's in Buffalo, but he's not eligible to fight."

Anthony Johnson will look to avenge his UFC 187 loss to Daniel Cormier this Saturday at UFC 210 in Buffalo. Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

Rumble's second chance

In April 2015, Johnson was deep in training for a UFC title fight against Jones, the No. 1 fighter in the world. On April 26, the rug was pulled from under him.

That was the day Jones was involved in a hit-and-run, which eventually led to Johnson facing Cormier instead, for the vacant UFC championship. It was a drastic change in style, as Cormier is an Olympic-caliber wrestler.

Johnson has mostly dismissed the change in opponent, recently saying, "You should be prepared for anything," and Cormier is quick to point out he wasn't even in camp, period, at the time of Jones's withdrawal. But one has to wonder how different the fight would have gone had Johnson been preparing for a wrestler.

"There was an opponent change, great, that is a 100 percent true statement, but do you guys realize I was barely getting ready to fight and I took that?" Cormier said. "It's not like I had a full training camp. It's not like I knew I was going to fight 'Rumble' and make weight and fight 25 minutes in three weeks."

Cormier has repeatedly praised Johnson for his first-round knockouts, but says once an opponent pushes back, he fades. Johnson welcomes the talk.

"I like what Daniel says. It shows that he is confident," Johnson said. "He is a good promoter. You know me. I keep my mouth closed, let it soak in and do what I have to do the day of the fight."

Fight breakdown

Ever since he abandoned the lighter weight classes for good in 2012, Johnson has lost exactly one time, to Cormier. The question is: Did he learn from it?

Cormier deserves full credit for winning that fight on short notice, but it can certainly be argued Johnson committed a fair amount of self-sabotage. He was overly aggressive seeking a quick finish early, and ended up getting taken down. In the second round, he threw a high number of body and head kicks with little setup, which eventually resulted in Cormier catching one and bringing him down.

For 'Rumble' to be 'Rumble,' he probably does need to throw caution to the wind at times and go full berserker mode. But against a smart, world-class wrestler like Cormier, he really has to pick his spots. His wild aggression made Cormier's job easier in the first fight.

When Johnson is under control, we know how difficult it is to take him down. And how dangerous he is at all times standing up. The overhand right dropped Cormier back in 2015. What happens if it lands again? Or even worse, that uppercut he slept Glover Teixeira or Antonio Rogerio Nogueira with? Cormier has showcased a solid chin throughout his entire career, but everyone has an off switch.

And although Cormier has just one loss in his career, to Jones, there have been some small cracks forming in his invincibility. He's 38 now, and coming off a groin injury. He's dealt with knee injuries and managed to fight only once in 2016. These aren't full blown concerns for Cormier, but they are worth noting. His last title defense against Alexander Gustafsson -- 17 months ago -- was a taxing 25-minute fight.

How similar will this sequel look to the original? The majority of that answer lies with Johnson. Has he adjusted his game plan to make life much more difficult for Cormier in this second fight -- and does he have the discipline to stick to it? He doesn't even need to defend every single takedown, but he can't offer the occasional one up on a silver platter.

Prediction: Cormier via submission, fourth round