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The Jones Rivalry Over, What’s Next For Daniel Cormier?

The post The Jones Rivalry Over, What’s Next For Daniel Cormier? appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

At 38 years old, there is very little in the mixed martial arts (MMA) world that Daniel “DC” Cormier has not done. He is a former Team USA Olympic Freestyle Wrestling captain, he is the former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion, he is undefeated in the UFC Heavyweight division, he is the former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, he went undefeated for 15 fights in his professional MMA career, he fought and dominated top contenders, and until UFC 214 last Saturday night (July 29, 2017), he had never been finished in a fight.

“DC” has done it all; that is, except defeat his greatest enemy, Jon “Bones” Jones.

Unfortunately for Cormier, his greatest rival also happens to be one of – if not the – greatest fighters of all-time, and their long-awaited rematch at UFC 214 in Anaheim, California, only served as more proof that Jones is simply the superior fighter.

Cormier’s record of 19-2 would be a respectable one for any fighter, especially given the caliber of fighters that “DC” has managed to beat. But it does not matter how many more number one contenders he beats, his inability to defeat Jones will forever haunt him. Cormier and Jones had a rivalry for the ages. “DC” was the aging, honorable champion with something to prove, while Jones was the troubled young man with the touch of greatness.

“DC” was looking to avenge his one loss and prove to the fans he was the true champion, while Jones was looking to redeem himself and make up for the time lost. It was a classic clash of yin and yang, Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed, the Cubs vs. the Indians, Ali vs. Frazier.

The rematch between the two had been rescheduled and postponed so many times that many fans wondered whether or not it would ever actually happen. Jones was dealing with personal issues, legal troubles and suspensions while Cormier dealt with injuries, and for over two years, “DC” reigned as the champion in “Bones’” absence.

Last night, many questions that loomed over the two best light heavyweights of all-time were answered. Would Jones’ performance be affected by his time away from the Octagon? Had “DC” made the right adjustments since their first fight to deal with Jones’ reach? Will this fight determine if Jones really is the greatest fighter of all-time?

In 13 minutes, Cormier showed how much he had improved since their first fight. He was aggressive and focused, taking control of the center of the Octagon and even getting the best of some boxing exchanges. He landed some excellent leg kicks and knocked Jones’ mouthpiece out with a nice uppercut early in the first round.

However, in the same 13 minutes, Jones showed why he is the greatest light heavyweight, and maybe even the greatest fighter, in UFC history. He withstood some hard right hands from “DC,” peppered him with his kicks, briefly took the Olympian wrestler down, and stayed ahead of the former champion in overall strikes.

But the decisive moment came by way of a devastating left high kick by Jones that connected flush to Cormier’s chin. After working the body for two rounds, Jones threw the kick at Cormier, who defended the body and left his face unprotected, and hurt “DC” badly. “DC” stumbled across the Octagon and crashed against the cage, with Jones following closely behind, sensing the kill. Jones pinned him against the face and pounded Cormier’s temple until “DC” went unconscious.

See the full fight highlights here:

Referee “Big” John McCarthy gave Cormier more than enough time to recover, as he has been known to come back from being hurt before. But there was no coming back from that head kick, and “DC” took way too many unnecessary punches to the head. He was still wobbly minutes after the stoppage.

After the fight, both fighters showed signs of wanting to move on from the rivalry.

In his post-fight interview, Jones said:

I want to take this time to thank Daniel Cormier. My biggest rival and motivator. Daniel Cormier, guys, he has absolutely no reason to hang his head. He has been a model champion, a model husband, a model father, a teammate, leader and I aspire to be a lot more like that man because he is an amazing human being. Unfortunately we are opponents, but outside of that, he is a true champion for the rest of his life.

It seems that the new champ is marking an end to the rivalry, as he proceeded to call out former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar, who still has six months left on a suspension due to a USADA anti-doping violation. Although Lesnar announced in February that he was retiring from MMA, he also accepted the challenge from Jones saying that he will fight him “anytime, anywhere.”

On the other hand, Cormier also showed signs of moving on from the rivalry, although begrudgingly. In his post-fight interview, Cormier said:

“If you win both fights, then there is no rivalry.”

Questions will arise to what is next for Cormier. Good match-ups could still be made for him in the light heavyweight division, perhaps against rising knockout artist Volkan Oezdemir, Glover Teixeira, or a rematch against Alexander Gustafsson, but at this point, it’s up to Cormier.

However, if “DC’s” goal is to win the title and retire as the champion, it is probably better he moves back up to heavyweight. Another fight with Jones might get stale for the fans and may not be the best thing for Cormier’s career, but it is hard to imagine “DC” would reinvent his career at 38 years old.

The only reason Cormier is fighting at light heavyweight in the first place is because he did not want to clash with heavyweight great and teammate Cain Velasquez, but Velasquez is still suffering from continuous injuries, so perhaps it is time for “DC” to move up in weight.

It was tough to see a hard worker and model champion like Cormier get defeated in such a violent fashion by his greatest rival, especially since “DC” had never been knocked out. But sometimes in life, the “good guy” doesn’t win, and poetic justice doesn’t exist in the fight game.

At the end of it all, we walked away from UFC 214 knowing that the only person who can defeat Daniel Cormier is Jon Jones, and the only person who can defeat Jon Jones is himself.

The post The Jones Rivalry Over, What’s Next For Daniel Cormier? appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Why Brock Lesnar vs. Jon Jones UFC Superfight Is Good for WWE

The buzz over a dream UFC fight coming to life between WWE universal champion Brock Lesnar and Jon “Bones” Jones is crackling loudly already.
The Beast Incarnate’s name is in headline after headline. MMA experts are debating the outcome. Odds…

The buzz over a dream UFC fight coming to life between WWE universal champion Brock Lesnar and Jon “Bones” Jones is crackling loudly already.

The Beast Incarnate’s name is in headline after headline. MMA experts are debating the outcome. Oddsmakers are drawing up each man’s chances.

Not surprisingly, the potential meeting of a megastar and a knockout artist who may be the greatest cage-fighter we’ve ever seen has the fighting world in a feverish state.

That’s great news for UFC. MMA writer Damon Martin is among those who believe Jones vs. Lesnar could be the biggest fight ever:

One can just imagine UFC President Dana White hearing a “ca-ching” sound going off in his head, but WWE headman Vince McMahon has to be grinning, as well.

Lesnar, one of his top Superstars, is half of one of the biggest stories in sports right now. His company and top champion are set for great major exposure. And Lesnar’s sizable aura could grow even more.

Speculation about a Lesnar-Jones superfight began moments after Bones chased down his opponent at UFC 214 on Saturday. Jones immediately set his sights on The Beast Incarnate after pounding Daniel Cormier into the mat. His newly won UFC light heavyweight championship hung around his waist as he called out Lesnar:

“If you want to know what it feels like to get your ass kicked by a guy who weighs 40 pounds less than you, meet me in the Octagon,” Jones said in a post-fight interview.

Lesnar heard him. He told the Associated Press in response: “Careful what you wish for, young man.”

To go from verbal shots to real ones is going to take some work. Lesnar has six more months left to serve for a suspension due to taking banned substances. He is still under contract with WWE. And Jones would have to move up a weight class to take on the heavyweight slugger.

After seeing the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor megafight come together, those obstacles don’t seem like much at all, though.

During the build to Jones vs. Lesnar, WWE’s name is sure to come up several times. The latter crossing over from pro wrestling again would be a major part of this story.

It’s possible Lesnar could still even hold WWE’s Universal Championship when squaring off against Jones. The visual of Lesnar wearing that red and gold title on his shoulders as he stepped into the Octagon would delight McMahon.

When Lesnar fought Mark Hunt at UFC 200 while still working for WWE last year, the company was happy to be a part of the promotional effort, airing video packages to hype the bout.

More eyes on Lesnar fighting creates more chances for casual fans to glom onto him, to seek out his WWE exploits. And if he’s still under contract, WWE can work out a deal to air some promos for one of its one events at the fight as did at UFC 200.

There’s also the issue of legitimacy.

WWE is often laughed off as “fake.” There’s a subset of the sports audience who doesn’t respect or understand what pro wrestlers do.

When they succeed in the Octagon or the gridiron, WWE is quick to point it out, to remind us that its history is filled with athletes from the world of sports.

Should Lesnar defeat Jones, it would be a victory for pro wrestling. It would be the latest piece of evidence that the men and women of the squared circle are not to be dismissed as stunt artists.

Not to mention, The Beast Incarnate would step back into the WWE circle with an even more impressive resume, as a bigger icon of combat sports, with his specialness highlighted even more.

Even a Lesnar loss would be beneficial to WWE, though. The company would be a part of the subplot of the sports story of the year. It would showcase one of its best on a grand stage.

And it would get free advertising throughout the journey to the fight.

This isn’t a pipe dream of a bout, either. OddsShark has the odds for the fight to happen before July 15 next year at -160 (bet $160 to win $100). ESPN MMA insider Brett Okamato said of it: “If Brock Lesnar is serious about coming back to the Octagon, I do think this fight will happen.”

If it does, whether Lesnar or Jones comes out on top, WWE would be one of the victors that night.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Anthony Johnson on Potential MMA Return: ‘Money Talks’

Anthony Johnson doesn’t plan on getting back in the cage, but if the money’s right he may change his stance. “Rumble” was in attendance for UFC 214 inside the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Johnson witnessed his former training partner Volkan Oezdemir put Jimi Manuwa away in 42 seconds. He also saw Jon Jones recapture […]

“Rumble” Thinks He Would’ve Knocked Out Jon Jones At UFC 214

Following an over two-year period littered with fight cancellations due to various drug-related issues, all-time great UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones finally won back the title he never lost by knocking out archrival Daniel Cormier in the main event of Saturday night’s (July 29, 2017) UFC 214 from Anaheim, Calif. Since then, “Bones” has […]

The post “Rumble” Thinks He Would’ve Knocked Out Jon Jones At UFC 214 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Since then, “Bones” has called out former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar for an upcoming super fight, and the prospect of a rematch with No. 2-ranked Alexander Gustafsson still hangs over Jones’ head after their close, even controversial UFC 165 affair.

But one huge fight that not many people are talking about – at least yet – is Jones’ previously scheduled match-up with feared knockout artist Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, who was set to meet “Bones” at May 2015’s UFC 187 before Jones’ hit-and-run accident in Albuquerque forced the UFC to remove him from the fight. Cormier, who had just lost to Jones for the first time at UFC 182 that January, stepped in to submit “Rumble” and win the belt, and “DC” repeated that feat at April’s UFC 210 in their rematch.

Photo by Kevin Hoffman for USA TODAY Sports

And after Johnson shockingly retired after losing to Cormier a second time, it’s hardly surprising a “Rumble” match-up isn’t being discussed for Jones, even if would be one of the few huge spectacle bouts left for Jones at 205 pounds. That talk is about to be ramped up in a big way, however, as Johnson appeared on today’s edition of The MMA Hour to reveal that, after attending the fight in person, his competitive juices did begin flowing a bit:

“It was definitely great seeing it from a fan point of view, you know what I mean? I absolutely loved the fights. This card was amazing. But it did kind of get me going a little bit seeing Jon and Daniel in there doing their thing. And I don’t know man, we’ll see what happens.”

Pressed for more specifics on any kind of return, “Rumble” revealed he would only come back to meet Jones if the financial side of the bout made sense, as he’s beaten everyone else at the top of 205 save for Cormier:

“Well, you know what? I’m kind of on the fence, you know what I’m saying? If I’m going to come back, it’d definitely have to be worth it for me, you know what I’m saying, financially, because I have so much going on already and things that are great. But if I come back, it would just be to fight the legend in Jon Jones himself. I’ve beaten pretty much anyone else except for Daniel and Jon.”

Photo Credit: Brad Penner for USA TODAY Sports

Long known as quite possibly the hardest hitter in the UFC and perhaps even MMA history, “Rumble” got the hype for any potential bout with Jones building by offering his belief that the big shots Cormier landed on Jones Saturday night would have put him down if they had been his:

“Jon got hit with some big punches from Daniel. I know if I would hit him with some of those punches, most likely he would have went down, you know I mean? Jon is a hell of a fighter; have nothing but respect for him and his family.”

A “Rumble” return could definitely be a boon to a currently shallow UFC light heavyweight talent pool that is suffering for true contenders outside of Gustafsson and the suddenly surging Volkan Oezdemir, but there are several hurdles to clear for it to become a reality.

First of all, Johnson would have to notify the UFC he was ending his retirement and re-enter the USADA testing pool before he was cleared to fight similar to what Lesnar would also have to do in order to fight Jones (Johnson has no suspension left like Lesnar, however). That would take several months, and it’s entirely possible the UFC would have already booked Jones vs. Lesnar by then because it’s a fight that’s just too big to pass up.

Second, Johnson has already lost twice in one-sided fashion to Cormier, whom Jones, in turn, defeated twice himself, the second of which was a devastating knockout. While MMA math rarely adds up accurately, it’s also safe to think “Bones” would be a heavy early favorite over “Rumble.”

But if anyone can change a fight with one punch, it’s the former number one contender who retired perhaps a bit too early. If he does choose to return to fight “Bones” and can actually get the fight, he’s going to have to show up with his head truly in the game in order to compete with the best light heavyweight to ever set foot in the Octagon. Should “Rumble” return to fight Jon Jones, and would he be able to drop him like he thinks he could?

The post “Rumble” Thinks He Would’ve Knocked Out Jon Jones At UFC 214 appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Malki Kawa Adamant on Jon Jones Wanting Brock Lesnar Next

Jon Jones’ manager reiterated his fighter’s desire to meet Brock Lesnar in a “super fight.” Jones recaptured the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight title this past Saturday night (July 29). “Bones” knocked out Daniel Cormier in the third round to capture the 205-pound gold. After the bout, Jones called out Lesnar. During a recent […]

Volkan Oezdemir Says he Understands if Gustafsson Gets Next Title Shot

Volkan Oezdemir made a strong case for a light heavyweight title shot, but he understands if he isn’t next in line. This past Saturday night (July 29), Oezdemir took on Jimi Manuwa on UFC 214’s main card opener. It took Oezdemir just 42 seconds to finish the “Poster Boy.” After the fight, Oezdemir revealed that […]