Daniel Cormier: It’s sad to see ‘talented’ Jon Jones fail another drug test because he didn’t need to cheat to win

Jon Jones stole headlines last week after it was announced he had failed a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)-administered drug test for a banned substance for his rematch against Daniel Cormier on July 29, 2017 at UFC 216, which Jon won via knockout.

While the transgression was a big black eye for Jones — who will have his B-sample tested soon — it also affects “DC,” as the former 205-pound champion always seems to play the part of innocent bystander caught in the troubled saga that is Jones.

Still, “DC” took the high road upon hearing the news, preferring to reserve judgement in order to allow “Bones” to get his due process, despite the fact that he has accused his bitter rival of using steroids in the past.

During a recent interview on The MMA Hour, Cormier talked about Jon’s latest failed drug test and says what he can’t seem to wrap his head around is how he could fail two back-to-back tests and claim recklessness or tainted supplements, when he himself has been under the USADA testing pool for nearly a decade with no issues.

“I guess now, so, I have been on the USADA testing pool since 2001. That was when I first started getting tested by USADA, my first US national team. So, 16 years now I’ve been in this program, and 16 years I have been doing, well not 16 because it wasn’t USADA when I started MMA. But, 2001 till 2009..and then, now with UFC, it’s about nine years I have been in this program,” explained Cormier.

“And all of this time I’ve been under the USADA program, I was actually taking supplements and I have never had anything like that happen. So, I just don’t understand how you could, something like that happen. Especially back-to-back. And I really want to be careful at how I answer these questions because Jon is entitled to the process of what’s going to happen with his other test,” stated Cormier.

“In his last case they said he was reckless, so they gave him a year. How could you be reckless again going into another fight? It’s so odd. For me it’s very concerning because it seems as though the last two times me and him were supposed to fight something like that happens. And I don’t want to be sour grapes, it’s just hard to answer the question. He won the fight. But it just makes it very odd.”

As for how he views Jon — whom he says beat him “point, blank, period” — after this latest discretion, Cormier had this to say.

“I think that is probably the worst part of it, again. That’s the problem, ‘again.’ We are going in these nasty circles time and time again, and just when you think it was kind of like we were going to head off into different directions for awhile, because if I was going to hope to get another fight against him it was going to take some time. We were headed in different directions.”

“DC” revealed that his manger Bob Cook told him the Jones story was now officially over, but that if he wanted to get a trilogy fight, they’d have to get creative in order to get.

But after the bombshell that dropped last week, Cormier says it’s now more frustrating than ever, as Jones could be in a “a lot of trouble.” It’s a “sad” thing for Daniel to say, as he won’t deny the fact that Jones “is very talented” and there was no need for him to gain an advantage illegally if that’s what he’s been doing.

“It’s sad because don’t think, I don’t believe he never needed to do anything wrong if, and you see a lot of people say flat out he cheated, I’ve seen Chael, and a lot of guys and there not in my position in regard to the fight with Jones, but he really didn’t need to do any of that stuff. And he really did do it for as long as I’ve been saying he was doing it, it really just became a comfort thing. And that’s probably why he did it again, and that sucks.”

According to Daniel, while UFC hasn’t made a definitive decision in regards to the Light Heavyweight title, he did reveal that UFC president Dana White told him in conversation that if all of Jon’s samples come back positive, “DC” would be the champion as the result of the fight would not remain the same.

Cormier says he would accept the title back in this case, only if it’s proven the “Bones” wasn’t fighting clean. And he will be a proud champion as he was before. If not, the “DC” has no qualms putting the work necessary in order to get back to the big dance.

Furthermore, “DC” says he would fight Jones again, “sadly,” but if “Bones” faces a lengthy suspension, the ex-champ says he will run out of time in his pursuit of a trilogy fight, as he doesn’t expect to fight past 40 years of age.

Jon Jones stole headlines last week after it was announced he had failed a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)-administered drug test for a banned substance for his rematch against Daniel Cormier on July 29, 2017 at UFC 216, which Jon won via knockout.

While the transgression was a big black eye for Jones — who will have his B-sample tested soon — it also affects “DC,” as the former 205-pound champion always seems to play the part of innocent bystander caught in the troubled saga that is Jones.

Still, “DC” took the high road upon hearing the news, preferring to reserve judgement in order to allow “Bones” to get his due process, despite the fact that he has accused his bitter rival of using steroids in the past.

During a recent interview on The MMA Hour, Cormier talked about Jon’s latest failed drug test and says what he can’t seem to wrap his head around is how he could fail two back-to-back tests and claim recklessness or tainted supplements, when he himself has been under the USADA testing pool for nearly a decade with no issues.

“I guess now, so, I have been on the USADA testing pool since 2001. That was when I first started getting tested by USADA, my first US national team. So, 16 years now I’ve been in this program, and 16 years I have been doing, well not 16 because it wasn’t USADA when I started MMA. But, 2001 till 2009..and then, now with UFC, it’s about nine years I have been in this program,” explained Cormier.

“And all of this time I’ve been under the USADA program, I was actually taking supplements and I have never had anything like that happen. So, I just don’t understand how you could, something like that happen. Especially back-to-back. And I really want to be careful at how I answer these questions because Jon is entitled to the process of what’s going to happen with his other test,” stated Cormier.

“In his last case they said he was reckless, so they gave him a year. How could you be reckless again going into another fight? It’s so odd. For me it’s very concerning because it seems as though the last two times me and him were supposed to fight something like that happens. And I don’t want to be sour grapes, it’s just hard to answer the question. He won the fight. But it just makes it very odd.”

As for how he views Jon — whom he says beat him “point, blank, period” — after this latest discretion, Cormier had this to say.

“I think that is probably the worst part of it, again. That’s the problem, ‘again.’ We are going in these nasty circles time and time again, and just when you think it was kind of like we were going to head off into different directions for awhile, because if I was going to hope to get another fight against him it was going to take some time. We were headed in different directions.”

“DC” revealed that his manger Bob Cook told him the Jones story was now officially over, but that if he wanted to get a trilogy fight, they’d have to get creative in order to get.

But after the bombshell that dropped last week, Cormier says it’s now more frustrating than ever, as Jones could be in a “a lot of trouble.” It’s a “sad” thing for Daniel to say, as he won’t deny the fact that Jones “is very talented” and there was no need for him to gain an advantage illegally if that’s what he’s been doing.

“It’s sad because don’t think, I don’t believe he never needed to do anything wrong if, and you see a lot of people say flat out he cheated, I’ve seen Chael, and a lot of guys and there not in my position in regard to the fight with Jones, but he really didn’t need to do any of that stuff. And he really did do it for as long as I’ve been saying he was doing it, it really just became a comfort thing. And that’s probably why he did it again, and that sucks.”

According to Daniel, while UFC hasn’t made a definitive decision in regards to the Light Heavyweight title, he did reveal that UFC president Dana White told him in conversation that if all of Jon’s samples come back positive, “DC” would be the champion as the result of the fight would not remain the same.

Cormier says he would accept the title back in this case, only if it’s proven the “Bones” wasn’t fighting clean. And he will be a proud champion as he was before. If not, the “DC” has no qualms putting the work necessary in order to get back to the big dance.

Furthermore, “DC” says he would fight Jones again, “sadly,” but if “Bones” faces a lengthy suspension, the ex-champ says he will run out of time in his pursuit of a trilogy fight, as he doesn’t expect to fight past 40 years of age.