Daniel Cormier Knows His Legacy Will Depend On Rivalry With Jon Jones

UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is set to defend his title for the second time in a rematch against No. 1-contender Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in the main event of this weekend’s (April 8, 2017) UFC 210 from Buffalo, New York.

The winner will likely meet former champion and former pound-for-pound king Jon Jones this summer when “Bones” returns from suspension.

Cormier and Jones have a rivalry dating back a few years now and they actually clashed at Jan. 2015’s UFC 182 where Jones beat “DC” by unanimous decision. They were supposed to rematch last summer at UFC 200, but “Bones” was forced to withdraw after he failed a drug test.

Cormier is well aware that he has a tough test in front of him in “Rumble”, but he also recently said that his legacy will depend on his rivalry with Jones:

“I think beating ‘Rumble’ again, it’ll help [my legacy], but ultimately it will come down to my rivalry with Jones,” Cormier told FOX Sports. “Anthony has done a tremendous job as he’s come up the weight classes but, we’re talking about a rivalry with a guy that many consider the greatest fighter of all time. So wins over a guy like Jon Jones is what’s going to really, probably be the one thing that solidifies where I’m trying to sit whenever I retire from the sport.

“At the end of the day I do have a tough challenge on my hands next week. Beating Anthony again, it’ll just be closing the chapter. I mean people really do believe in him and they really do love the knockout, so he gets a reputation for being the scariest guy. So beating someone like that twice really should cement who I am and everything else I’ve done, but ultimately I think it will depend on the rivalry with Jones.”

After Jones’ failed drug test was brought to light, Cormier admitted that he longer had interest in being matched up with the former champion given Jones’ consistent issues outside of the cage. Now, however, “DC” is ready to address the situation and ready to seek revenge on his bitter rival:

“Yes, I will be ready to address the situation. For a while, I felt so burned that I was like I don’t want to fight him. Honestly, before I knew that his suspension was going to carry through [the] next year, I spoke to people about what should happen next before the ‘Rumble’ fight came about. It was [expletive] Jon Jones, I’m not dealing with him again,” Cormier explained.

“I’ve dealt with that. I’ve resolved those issues. I’ll give it another shot. I want to compete against that guy. I want to fight him. He beat me the first time and that means something to me. Yes, I will be ready to address that situation once again.”

Do you expect Cormier to get by Johnson and earn a rematch with Jones?