Earlier this morning UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier called out former title contender Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson for supposedly coming out of the retirement he announced after Cormier submitted him at April’s UFC 210.
The victory, which was ‘DC’s’ second rear-naked choke win over ‘Rumble’ after he first won the belt by submitting him at 2015’s UFC 187, prompted the feared knockout artist to leave mixed martial arts behind for a reportedly much more safe and lucrative business venture.
But ‘Rumble’s’ manager Ali Abdelaziz recently revealed the hulking striker was in talks with the UFC for a potential return at heavyweight, prompting ‘DC’ to scoff at the length of his retirement in addition to his supposedly friendly demeanor towards disgraced former champion Jon Jones, who, of course, beat Cormier for the title at July 29’s UFC 214 with a third-round knockout but had the belt stripped away yet again after he tested positive for anabolic steroid Turinabol.
‘Rumble’ wasted no time responding to his former foe on Facebook today, claiming Cormier was ‘salty’ because he talked to Jones, with whom he wasn’t necessarily friends with, but simply showed respect towards:
“Damn D.C. didn’t know you were salty cuz I talk to the 1 guy that knocked you out. Fucking soft is what you called me, oh well that’s your opinion.
Saying I gave Jon advice lol buddy what advice is there to give him? I wasn’t fighting either one of you, so there’s no point of giving advice. That’s not my style! I believe in fair fights period.
Friend’s? We were NEVER friend’s! I’ve respected every man in the sport no matter what. I’ve shown JBJ respect through his tough times and have shown you respect the same way.”
Johnson briefly explained his retirement before crying Cormier a ‘cry baby’ and offering him the stance he was lucky to have retained the belt by Jones’ mistake:
“I retired cuz I have other thing’s in life I want to do but just cuz I met with UFC and talked you have an issue.
“So take your cry baby ass on and praise God that Jon screwed up and you got the belt back that way! “
It’s true Cormier cried when he was in a hysterical state following the knockout loss to Jones, yet it’s also difficult to criticize him for that after it became public knowledge that Jones was once again on banned substances, regardless of his former greatness or record, and it’s even more difficult to blast a man whom defeated you twice via stoppage.
However, ‘Rumble’ had Cormier on the ropes with his earth-shaking power in both fights as well. If that’s enough to book them in a rematch at some point down the line remains to be seen.
One thing is certain: in today’s uncertain UFC landscape, you can never count anything out. Especially anything that draws eyeballs.
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