Former UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones is still waiting for his USADA suspension to expire in July, but he’ll make his first public appearance at tonight’s (April 8, 2017) UFC 210 from Buffalo, N.Y. since his scheduled UFC 200 main event against longtime rival Daniel Cormier fell apart due to a failed drug test.
Jones claimed it was a tainted sexual performance enhancer, but his arbitration ultimately led to a one-year suspension anyway. “Bones” is understandably looking to return against the winner of tonight’s Cormier vs. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson main event, and during a pre-fight media conference (via MMA Fighting), he told the press whom he thinks is going to win the bout from his birthplace of upstate New York:
“Do I think he [Johnson] beats DC? I think he has a very strong chance to do it, a puncher’s chance. But if I were to bet, I’d put my money on Daniel Cormier just because the last performance and it boils right down to what I was saying, you have to have the total package to be at a certain level of the sport and DC is closer to that level of having that complete game. So I think Anthony has a chance, but if I had to bet, I would definitely go with Cormier.”
The formerly dominant and currently disheveled MMA great opened up about that belief, noting that he believed “Rumble” is too much of a one-dimensional fighter to beat Cormier:
“I feel like he’s [Johnson] a very one-dimensional fighter,” Jones explained. “And I know he has that wrestling base and once a wrestler, always a wrestler, but you know I think he’s pretty much fallen in love with his striking and his power. I really think that to beat a guy like me, you really have to whole game down, your jiu-jitsu, your takedown defense, your takedowns, the whole shebang, and I just don’t feel like he’s that fighter. He’s extremely talented with God-given knockout power, he’s got a great kickboxing coach, but this sport is mixed martial arts.”
So “Bones” expects he’ll return to battle Cormier, whom he beat by unanimous decision at their long-awaited first match-up at UFC 182 two years ago. They’e seen multiple rematches fall apart since due to legal trouble and numerous drug issues from Jones and injuries from Cormier.
If a second fight finally does happen, however, Jone doesn’t feel like he has any unfinished business with Cormier; in fact, he believes it’s “DC” who still has something to prove against him:
“I really don’t feel like I have unfinished business with Cormier,” Jones said. “But I do feel like I do have unfinished business with Anthony Johnson. We’ve had quite a few fights that fell through. And Daniel Cormier, I beat him fare and square, I’m the only guy to ever beat him. So if anything, he has unfinished business with me. Daniel is no greater than any other person that I defeated, he just happened to be undefeated outside myself. So I just look at him like like he’s Stephan Bonnar or whoever I’ve beaten in the past.”
That’s a bit of a backhanded dig at Cormier, because while Bonnar was no doubt an entertaining competitor who helped the UFC into their current era of popularity when he fought Forrest Griffin in a classic war on TUF 1, it’s plain to see that Cormier is a champion in multiple organizations with only one loss on his record to arguably the best fighter in MMA history.
Regardless, Jones and Cormier will most likely be scheduled to fight once again and finally settle their long-standing beef. Let’s just hope they can make it to the fight if and when they are.
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