Former undisputed UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier has claimed that he “doesn’t need permission” to commentate arch-rival, Jon Jones’ return to the Octagon at UFC 285 next month, however, admitted that it was nice to hear the Rochester veteran acknowledge that he will provide non-biased commentary.
Cormier, a former undisputed light heavyweight and heavyweight champion under the banner of the UFC, twice shared the Octagon with former two-time light heavyweight best, Jones, suffering a unanimous decision loss before a rematch high-kick TKO was then overturned to an official ‘No Contest’.
Jon Jones urged Daniel Cormier to commentate his return at UFC 285
Sharing an infamous and heated rivalry with former Jackson-Wink MMA stalwart, Jones over the course of their respective UFC tenures, Cormier had been urged to commentate at UFC 285 by Jones himself, who makes his heavyweight bow in a vacant title fight against former interim titleholder, Ciryl Gane.
“DC (Daniel Cormier) you are more than welcome to commentate at my fight, I think you are really good at what you do,” Jon Jones tweeted. “I trust that you would be non-biased. All the best brother.”
Responding to Jones’ comments and invitation to commentate at the T-Mobile Arena, Cormier admitted that he did not necessarily need the former’s permission to hold sticks at the event.
“You guys know how I feel about (Jon) Jones and how we have felt about each other in the past,” Daniel Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “But it leads me to this question. How do I take this? This particular tweet, which at times feels like a compliment, but also could be interpreted as a bit of a dig – considering at times, people call me biased in my commentary and all this other stuff. First, just for the record, I don’t really need permission to call someone’s fight.”
“I’ll be honest with you, it’s kind of nice hearing a fighter acknowledge – that even with our history, he (Jones) believes that I can do him justice and do the job fairly – because I’ve done it before,” Daniel Cormier explained. “It seems now that Jones is maturing. He seems to be taking a much different approach to the build to the fight and how he’s approaching everything. But it feels nice for him to acknowledge, ‘I think this guy could do me justice.’” (Transcribed by MMA Fighting)
Calling time on his decorated mixed martial arts career back in August 2020, Cormier failed in his bid to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion as he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Stipe Miocic in their trilogy rubber match at the UFC Apex facility.