Daniel Cormier Would Rather Be Fighting Jon Jones Next, Not Alexander Gustafsson
Newly crowned UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is set to put his title on the line for the very first time against former title challenger Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192.
However, there was another fight that Cormier wanted to do, but that is not possible at this time. Cormier said in a recent interview that if it was up to him, he would be fighting former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones for a second time.
“If Gus and I are scheduled to fight and Jones was back and Jones was eligible to compete, I would ask (the UFC),” he today told MMAjunkie. “I would ask if there’s any way we could get this rematch done, and Alex fight someone else.
“That’s the fight that you want. Any guy in the division would give you the same answer to that question.”
After UFC 192, Cormier has gone on record stating that he hopes to fight Jon Jones in the future if Jones’ legal troubles are resolved.
Jones was stripped of that title following a car accident that involved him running a red light and crashing into a pregnant lady that resulted in breaking her arm. He now faces some serious legal charges for that. The UFC had to suspend Jones as well.
At UFC 187, the UFC had Daniel Cormier take on Anthony Johnson for the vacated championship and Cormier won.
“It’s not even the name,” Cormier said. “It’s not him. It’s about he beat me, and I would love to correct that.”
Cormier knows that he can’t wait forever for Jon Jones to get his stuff together. He has to move on in his fighting career and if he a rematch with Jones happens, then it happens.
“We can’t wait for him. We have to continue to fight, because, at the end of the day, you’re still watching some of the most skilled athletes in the world compete for a championship.”
“If he is allowed back to fight, I think Jones deserves to be fighting for the title right away,” he said.
His fight with Gustafsson at UFC 192 takes place on October 3, 2015. This fight will mark his first title defense.
