Daniel Cormier is currently preparing for his third fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 252. The fight will end the rivalry between the two once and for all. This however, isn’t the first rivalry in ‘DC’s’ storied UFC career.
Cormier and Jon Jones had one of the fiercest rivalries in UFC history and for a long while, we were expecting a trilogy bout between the them. Three years on from their second fight at UFC 214 however, the pair appear to have put their rivalry behind them. While speaking on Steve-O’s Wild Ride podcast, ‘Bones’ had nothing but nice things to say about his former foe.
“I respect ‘DC’,” Jones stated. “I think he’s an outstanding man. I think he represents himself very well. I think he represents African-Americans very well. He represents the UFC very well. Being a father, being an athlete, he’s very well spoken, he’s a great commentator.”
Plenty Of History
The Jones and Cormier saga gave us some of the most iconic moments the sport has ever seen. From call outs, explicit social media exchanges, a face-off that turned physical in the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, two great fights, these two always gave us something to remember. Including some heart wrenching moments, such as ‘DC’ being interviewed whilst in tears having just been knocked out by ‘Bones’ in their rematch.
The two were, and still are, two of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. Having consumed so much time dedicated to one another, as well as the time spent inside the Octagon, it is no surprise that both men have developed a certain level of respect.
Daniel Cormier Responds
Cormier reiterated as much in response to Jones, whilst speaking with MMA Fighting.
“The reality is when you’re in the octagon — this guy I was in the Octagon with over 40 minutes — if you can’t respect a person in that capacity when you’re done with them, then who can you respect? I do respect Jones in terms of what he does as an athlete, what he’s been able to do and all those things,” Cormier said.
“The reality is like you said, it doesn’t have to be a friendship and it won’t be.”
Despite the heated rivalry between the two, Cormier wanted to make the point known that his dislike for his rival should never be interpreted as disrespect.
“I do respect him as a competitor. I never said I didn’t,” Cormier stated. “That’s where it gets all confused when they talk about this thing between him and I. I never not respected him as a competitor. It was all the other stuff I had a problem with.
“I never did that. If you’re an honest guy, which I try to think I am, you tell the truth. You can respect a person for their skills. I do respect those skills.”
Daniel Cormier lost both times to Jones, although the second fight was overturned to a no contest, after ‘Bones’ tested positive for the steroid metabolite, turinabol.
Cormier goes into the most important fight of his career against Miocic at UFC 252 on August 15th, with the heavyweight crown on the line.
Do you think we’ll ever see Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier become friends in the future?
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