The rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier was reignited on Monday.
Cormier, said on the latest episode of his podcast, “DC & Helwani,” that he didn’t think Jones’ (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) knockout power would translate efficiently to the heavyweight division as “Bones” works towards moving up a weight class following years of dominance at light heavyweight, including two bouts with his arch enemy.
“Jon Jones will not knock out anybody (at heavyweight),” Cormier said. “He doesn’t hit hard enough. If he couldn’t knock these dudes out at 205 (pounds), he’s not knocking these heavyweights out.”
The comments for Cormier quickly reached Jones’ radar and clearly didn’t sit well with him. Jones’ most recent updates have claimed he’s currently weighing 252 pounds, and all signs point to “Bones” making his heavyweight debut against the winner of the Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou rematch taking place at UFC 260 on March 27.
Jones apparently did not feel the need to offer any words in response, instead simply posting video of Cormier’s post-fight interview from UFC 214 in July 2017, as well as the sequence preceding it. Cormier shed tears after he was stopped by Jones in the third round via head kick (via Instagram):
The glaring hole in Jones’ response is that while he did finish Cormier with strikes at UFC 214, the result doesn’t stand as an official win on his record. Jones tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in the aftermath of the fight, and his win was overturned to a no contest.
Cormier has since said that while the records don’t reflect what happened in the octagon that night, he does feel he went 0-2 against Jones in their rivalry.
There have been ups and downs in the feud between the two sides in the years since they last shared the octagon, but the latest exchange proves again that the sour feelings may never completely diffuse.
