I’m not sure these two can be considered bosom buddies just yet, but don’t be surprised if Daniel Cormier rides his unicycle to the Octagon at UFC 197.
Unless, of course, Jon Jones was just playing nice for the boys over at Tiki and Tierney (via FOX Sports), who spent a few minutes talking shop with the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight kingpin just over a month out from his “DC” rematch.
Said Jones:
“I definitely don’t hate the guy. We don’t like each other because we’re both really elite in our sport. We’re at the highest level you can get when it comes to being a UFC fighter. He’s only lost to me. I’ve never lost to anyone. So I know that he’s a capable guy [who could] possibly defeat me. He knows that I can defeat him because I’ve already done it. There’s just a competitiveness there that only we can bring out of each other. This guy consumes my mind all day long. Everything I do has been focused on him. I’ve been thinking about this guy over a year. Every single day I think about him.”
If what we’ve seen thus far (sample) is merely a strong dislike, then I would be terrified to see unbridled hatred.
Jones — who outpointed “DC” at UFC 182 — is trying to win back the title he lost by way of suspension in early 2015. While he was gone, Cormier captured the vacant crown against Anthony Johnson, then went on to defend it against Alexander Gustafsson later that year.
For more on their “Sin City” rematch click here.