Daniel Cormier predicted his own demise at the left leg of Jon Jones back in 2014

“DC” said he was too smart and self aware to let “Bones” hit him with a left head kick. But, that’s exactly what he did in their rematch.

Jon Jones absolutely brutalized Daniel Cormier at the end of their light heavyweight title match at UFC 214, and the whole violent finish started with a left kick to the head from Jones that left Cormier in la-la land and unable to protect himself further. An interesting fun fact about that head kick? It's something Cormier has left himself open for in past matches, something that came up during a UFC 178 press conference for their first fight (one of the three times the fight was booked but didn't happen due to injury or Jones scandal).

"I've been able to pick out some pretty, pretty, pretty good tendencies that I will exploit against him," Jones said. "My camp is just pretty solid man, Greg Jackson is a very very smart trainer. I've got good people in my corner and life that's gonna help me get through this amazing challenge. I can't go over what his weaknesses are but we've found many tendencies in his game."

"I've got tendencies," Cormier replied. "And I know what he's talking about because they're glaring ... Don't think you're gonna kick me in the head with your left leg. Do not think you're gonna kick me with the left foot in the head."

"I wish Greg Jackson was here, my sport killer!" Jones replied, referring to the moniker Dana White gave Jackson after Jones refused to fight Chael Sonnen on short notice, killing UFC 151. "My sport killer will help me out big time right now. No, he has many tendencies but thank you for bringing that to my attention. Yes, we noticed that."

"Yeah of course you did because it's fricking glaring!" Cormier said. "That is a weakness that I'm smart enough to understand when there is a weakness and I correct it."

And while Cormier did correct that weakness when he finally faced Jones at UFC 182, taking the champ to a decision, he must not have been as careful drilling that tendency to leave himself open for head kicks in this camp. Jones ended up kicking Cormier with that left foot in the head, and the fight was as good as over from the moment that shot landed.