Losing two title fights in mixed martial arts (MMA) is tough enough to swallow. But when you lose them to your biggest rival, the sting level goes up a few notches. Just ask Daniel Cormier
After coming up short to Jon Jones at UFC 182 via decision, then two years later at UFC 214 via knockout, “DC” says he is okay if he never gets the chance to avenge the defeats, and he will be happy walking off into the sunset never fighting Jon again.
“That’s it, man. I don’t need it anymore. Sometimes you need things and sometimes you don’t. I just don’t understand the logic of ‘I need anyone’ anymore. I don’t. I have come to terms with everything,” said “DC” n a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show.
But it hasn’t been easy, as Cormier has long been linked — and will forever be — to Jones given their rocky past. Scheduled to throw down at UFC 200, the fight was cancelled a day before the proposed date after United States anti Doping Agency (USADA) for a failed drug test.
After UFC 214, it was announced that “Bones” had failed yet another drug test, prompting his win to get over turned to a no-contest (NC), forcing UFC to return the Light Heavyweight title to Cormier.
And that’s just part of it.
The two men have gone each other during pretty much every interview they’ve conducted, at times going below the belt hitting at family issues, legit threats, and brawls during pre-fight gatherings. To hear “DC” tell it, it took him so much work to finally remove himself from anything pertaining to Jones during his hiatus, re-programming his mind to start over just isn’t worth it.
“Because was gone so much, I had to remove myself from the situation so completely, that it almost became like not reality. Now I would truly have to re-train my mind to understand that he is even back in the game. And the reality is, can I really trust that he’s really going to be back in the game?”
Indeed, Jones didn’t get a hefty sanction from USADA after multiple offenses, allowing him to return to action sooner than expected, as he is geared up to fight Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232 on Dec. 29, 2018 for what is still currently Daniel’s 205-pound title.
For “DC,” however, seeing is believing, and he will not be convinced Jon is truly back unless he passes all of his USADA obligations.
“History shows that there will probably be some sort of issue either before the Gustafsson fight or after. And if not for the Gustafsson fight, if we scheduled a fight there is definitely going to be an issue because there has always been an issue.”
After successfully defending his Heavyweight title this past Saturday (Nov. 3, 2018) against Derrick Lewis at UFC 230, it seems a trilogy fight between the two light heavyweight legends won’t ever see the light of day, as “DC” has his eyes firmly set on Brock Lesnar.