On Monday, Jon Jones responded to Daniel Cormier’s open offer of helping Ovince Saint Preux get ready for the biggest fight of his life.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones made an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour on Monday, just a little while after current champ Daniel Cormier offered to help Ovince Saint Preux, which included travel costs to San Jose’s American Kickboxing Academy.
Jones wasn’t too impressed with Cormier’s invitation, despite the fact Saint Preux declined it.
“Daniel is an absolute coward who will never beat me,” Jones told Helwani. “And I say that not from an arrogant place. I say that from a place where, me getting my belt back, it means everything to me. That belt right now is a big part of my life. It means everything to me. Me losing to OSP should be the last thing that [Cormier] would want, because if I were to somehow lose, that means he doesn’t get to avenge his only loss.
“Him inviting OSP to his training camp shows me that he’s so grateful that he’s not fighting me in three weeks,” Jones said. “That he’s so grateful that he gets to have one more family photo-op with that belt, because he knows that he’s not going to beat me, especially now with a knee injury. He’s going to be nursing his knee to get back to 100-percent. I’m going to just be getting stronger, better, faster, more rehearsed in my gameplan to beat him.
Jones defended his title against Cormier in January 2015 and won by unanimous decision following months of buildup. Jones was involved in a hit-and-run incident later that year, however, and was ultimately stripped of his title. Cormier defeated Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 in May to capture the vacant belt.
Despite the fact Jones and Cormier have already fought once, their rivalry is still gaining heat to this day.
“So, Daniel, man, he’s a mental midget. I’m not worried about Daniel. Obviously him inviting OSP shows that he’s so lucky he’ll be watching from the sidelines and not actually in that cage with me.”
Jones did not stop there, of course. Afterwards, he took to Twitter to unleash more trash talk on DC:
Willing to train OSP and is willing to pay for his expenses? You are a sheep in wolves clothing and I see right through you. pussy.
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 4, 2016
Daniel just please explain to us all why you would help OSP if you truly want to fight me and legitimize yourself as the champion?
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 5, 2016
Jones fights Saint Preux for the UFC light heavyweight interim championship in the main event of UFC 197 which takes place live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 23.