Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones II Reportedly Confirmed For UFC 214
The long-awaited Daniel Cormier vs. Jones rematch is reportedly finally set once again, and this time it’s scheduled for late in the summer.
According to a report from BJ PENN.com’s Chris Taylor, multiple sources have confirmed that Cormier will rematch Jones at July 29’s UFC 214 from Anaheim, California. The rumored return of Cris Cyborg is also still slated to take place on the card, with the dominant female star allegedly fighting for an interim or vacant featherweight belt with her opponent “still in the works”:
I have confirmed with sources close to the fight that Jon
Jones vs. Daniel Cormier 2 is official and will headline #UFC214 on July 29!— Chris Taylor (@CTaylor_96) May 10, 2017
In addition, Cris Cyborg is still slated to fight for either
the interim or vacant featherweight title in the co-main event. #UFC214— Chris Taylor (@CTaylor_96) May 10, 2017
An opponent for Cyborg is still “in the works”. #UFC214 3/3
— Chris Taylor (@CTaylor_96) May 10, 2017
Cormier and Jones’ highly-publicized beef goes back nearly three full years to their now-historic presser brawl before their original scheduled rematch at 2014’s UFC 178 from Las Vegas. That fight would go on to fall apart due to a Jones injury, but the two would eventually settle their score – or so we thought – when Jones finally outlasted Cormier with a five-round unanimous decision win in the main event of 2015’s UFC 182, the only loss of Cormier’s illustrious career.
“Bones” was set to move on to the next challenge of his own legendary MMA career when he was matched up with Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at May 2015’s UFC 187, but when Jones was forced out of the fight after a bizarre and shocking hit-and-run accident where he left a 25-year-old pregnant girl with a broken arm, the all-time great was stripped of his belt and Cormier was granted an opportunity few ever get after losing a title fight in their previous bout.
He capitalized majorly, submitted Johnson in the third round of their main event bout after getting rocked by a missile of a right hand in the first round, opening up the path for his title reign that has been filled with ups and downs. He defended the belt against Alexander Gustafsson in a classic battle at UFC 192, and was set to rematch Jones at April 2016’s UFC 197 before a leg injury forced him out. Jones ultimately fought and beat Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197 in a one-sided replacement fight for the interim title.
The rematch was scheduled yet again for last July’s massive UFC 200, but once again Jones made a boneheaded mistake that put his fighting future in jeopardy when he failed pre-fight drug tests for two banned estrogen blockers. Cormier fought and beat replacement Anderson Silva in an uninspired, safe decision before defending the belt for a second time with another rear-naked choke win over Johnson at April 8’s UFC 210, a bout after which ‘Rumble’ announced his retirement from the fight game.
UFC President Dana White has stated that Jones will not return to a main event because of the trust issues his track record of the past few years have understandably fostered, so it would seem like the company will have to get an absolutely huge match-up to feature over Cormier vs. Jones, one of the most anticipated – and rescheduled – rematches in UFC history.
Cyborg fighting Megan Anderson may fit that bill, but it’s safe to say that most eyes will be on the potential return of ‘Bones’ and whether or not he can defeat the more by-the-book champion that most fans seem to hate for one reason or another.
Either way, UFC 214 is looking like it will be stacked.
