Daniel Cormier rules out a UFC return against Jon Jones at UFC 282
Daniel Cormier will not come out of retirement for UFC 282. The former two-division champion struck down rumors that he’d return for a fight against his long-time rival Jon Jones.
Rumors are speculating that the UFC is targeting a December return for Jones. An opponent is up in the air but fingers are pointed towards Stipe Miocic. Some fans believe that a Cormier-Jones trilogy would be a more suitable option but the retired hall of famer disagrees.
After an 11-year career, Cormier retired in 2020. His role in MMA has changed from fighter to commentator. He has also been involved with his ESPN show “DC and RC” and recently made appearances for WWE.
Daniel Cormier Is Happy With Retirement
During a recent episode of DC and RC, Cormier spoke with co-host Ryan Clark and expressed his thoughts on a potential return to the octagon.
“Listen, RC when you realize you can make money without tackling people and getting punched in the face is a whole new world, ain’t it?” he said. “I can actually make this money without actually fighting, I ain’t going back to fighting, get out of here man, finally I gotta get ready to go referee some WWF or whatever. WWE I would rather go referee and do all kinds of stuff, man. Let’s go.” [via MMANews.com]
Cormier and Jones fought twice during their heated rivalry. Jones won the first meeting and originally secured a knockout win in the second but the result was overturned after a failed drug test.
Jones (26-1, 1 NC) hasn’t fought since defeating Dominick Reyes in February 2020 at UFC 247. Six months later, he vacated the UFC light heavyweight title and announced a move up to heavyweight. Despite recent inactivity inside the octagon, Jones has been in the gym bulking up for his heavyweight debut.
The 35-year-old has expressed interest in facing several heavyweights including champion Francis Ngannou. In June, UFC president Dana White addressed Jones’ return on The Jim Rome Show.
”Jon Jones is ready to go,” White said. “We’re just waiting for an opponent. It’s either going to be Francis depending on how long his knee is going to take to recover or Stipe Miocic.”
It is still unknown whether Jones will make his return in 2022. One thing is for sure and that is long-time rival Daniel Cormier will remain retired for now.
