Jon Jones says he’s gotten over Daniel Cormier carrying the UFC light heavyweight belt and admits that he’s not a bad guy.
The rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier almost seems to be turning into a love-hate relationship.
Last week, “DC” said he was in support of “Bones” for his alleged drag race, and now, surprisingly, the pound-for-pound #1 has returned some positivity his way.
In fact, Jones said he’s actually ‘happy’ for Cormier and says his acquisition of the UFC light heavyweight title no longer bothers him.
“It doesn’t really bother me,” Jones said, per MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti. “I’m really aware with everything that’s happened. I took myself out of the competition being a knucklehead and gave DC an opportunity of a lifetime to finally capture that belt. This may sound weird, but in a way I’m happy for him to have gotten a taste of the opportunity. Because outside of the fact that I don’t like him, he’s really not a bad guy. And watching him, he makes a great champion. He has a clean image. He seems like a family guy who works really hard and everything like that.”
Although Jones, who was stripped of the 205-pound belt after a hit-and-run incident last year, has a new-found respect for Cormier, the former champion is a long way off establishing a friendship and can’t wait to reclaim the title in the near-future.
“So, me not being in there, you want to see a guy like DC have the belt. So a part of me, in a weird way, is happy that he got the opportunity. But now he’s had it long enough. I hope he enjoyed it. It’s time to pay his rental fee and get that ass whooped when I finally face him.”
Jones and Cormier were originally supposed to settle the score at UFC 197, but Jones accepted a late-replacement fight with Ovince Saint Preux for the interim championship after his arch rival pulled out with a leg injury.
UFC 197 will take place this Saturday, April 23rd, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.