Daniel Cormier Thinks Rivalry With Jon Jones Is Growing Old
It’s been well over two years since Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones met for a first time at Jan. 2015’s UFC 182, where Jones scored a unanimous decision victory to defend his then-held title, but their rivalry hasn’t simmered down since.
The two were supposed to rematch at UFC 197 last year, but an injury to Cormier put the bout on hold. The bout was then rescheduled for last July’s UFC 200, but Jones was forced to withdraw just days prior after being notified of a potential anti-doping violation by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). He was subsequently suspended for a year.
Now, the two light heavyweight titans are finally set to meet for a second time in the main event of this weekend’s (July 29, 2017) UFC 214 from Anaheim, California. Cormier’s title will be on the line, but he recently admitted that the long-held rivalry with Jones has ‘gotten a bit old.’
“DC” also said that if he doesn’t win the fight, then there is ‘no rivalry’:
“I just feel like, competitively, it’s the highest level MMA that we can see,” Cormier said on yesterday’s media conference call. “I think it’s gotten a bit old because we’ve had to do this on so many different occasions. But as I’ve said time and time again, this rivalry is only a rivalry when I win the fight this weekend. If I don’t win the fight it’s no rivalry. It’s just two guys who were fighting on more than one occasion. It’s a rivalry when I win this weekend. But it’s gotten a bit old because we’ve done it so many times. But outside of that, to me, I feel like it’s the highest level of mixed martial arts that people can experience.”
In regards to all of the animosity and bad blood between the two, Cormier said ‘it’s all noise’:
“It’s all noise, man,” Cormier said. “All the other stuff from before, whatever. The anger and the animosity and all the bad blood and all that other stuff the fight was built on the first time, I really don’t care about it any more. For me, it’s about getting in there and competing. Going in there and doing what I feel I’m able to do, which is getting the job done. So no, it doesn’t bother me. Nothing bothers me.”
Cormier is certainly correct in saying that this fight represents the highest level of MMA possible, but is he also right when he says the rivalry has gotten old?
Who do you expect to come out on top in Cali this weekend?
