Jon Jones Questions Seriousness Of Daniel Cormier’s Injury
Fight week is once again upon us, and for the first time in 15 months, reigning pound-for-pound king and former light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones will be competing this weekend (April 23, 2016) in the main event of UFC 197.
After being stripped of his long-held title last April due to legal issues, Jones will return to face No. 6-ranked Ovince St. Preux for the interim 205 pound strap.
St. Preux stepped up on short notice to accept this bout after current champion and bitter Jones rival Daniel “DC” Cormier was unfortunately forced out off of the card with an injury.
Cormier and “Bones” possess one of the deepest rivalries in the sport, and Jones took the first fight, scoring a unanimous decision victory back at January 2015’s UFC 182.
With “DC” now holding the title, the rematch was highly anticipated, leading many to be filled with disappointment when the news of the champion’s setback came out.
Jones, however, recently questioned the seriousness of Cormier’s injury, saying that he’s heard the former Olympian may just be ‘hurt’:
“I wasn’t there in the workout room with him when he got injured, I’ll say. But, there’s been lots of rumors that he was hurt, not injured. And to drop the fight being ‘hurt,’ it just makes no sense. My body, I have aches and little nooks and crannies all over my body, but it’s the cost of being an elite level athlete. You fight through that stuff.” Jones told ESPN.
In the aftermath of the news, Cormier admitted that the apparent injury was a leg injury suffered in training after a kick was checked, a predicament that wouldn’t send him to the sidelines for too long.
Do you buy into Jones’ statements here, or do you think the champion had a legitimate reason for pulling out of the bout?
