Daniel Cormier will be ‘greatest fighter ever’ with win over Jon Jones at UFC 214
If it wasn’t for Jon Jones, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier would have an undefeated professional MMA record and be well on his way to becoming the greatest 205-pound fighter of all time. Unfortunately, Jones occupies the same space as “DC” and has forced the champion to play second fiddle in his prime. Luckily for Cormier, he’ll have the chance to right the ship tomorrow night (Sat., July 29, 2017) at UFC 214 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., when he meets Jones in a highly-anticipated rematch.
“This is my era,” Cormier said during UFC 214’s open workouts media scrum. “I win Saturday night, and I’m the greatest fighter ever. Why is it not my era? Because he beat me one time?”
Remember, Jones originally defeated Cormier back at UFC 182 via unanimous decision. It was the last time Jones fought for the undisputed UFC light heavyweight title and the first time Cormier tasted defeat inside of the cage.
“All his praise that he’s giving himself on that victory like he dominated me tells me he did something he didn’t know he could do,” Cormier said. “He won a fight. He didn’t wipe the mat with me, but he’s walking around here like he just – he’s walking around like he beat Lyoto Machida or ‘Shogun’ Rua.”
Cormier’s rematch with Jones at UFC 214 has been a long time coming. The two were scheduled to meet on multiple occasions, but Jones’ legal troubles and penis pill issues pushed their reboot to the back burner, forcing Cormier to fight the likes of Anthony Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson instead.
“How about I walk across the stage and say, ‘Here, how about you deal with what I’ve been dealing with the last two years?’ and leave,” Cormier said. “Would that not be the ultimate ‘f*ck you?’ I think he’ll win again after I’m done. After I beat him twice and if I walk off into the sunset, or I leave this division, he’ll be the champion again. I want him to deal with what I’ve had to deal with where he is going to be berated for something that is not in his control.”
There is a lot at stake for both Cormier and Jones entering this weekend. Cormier is looking to avenge the only loss on his professional record in effort to solidify his MMA legacy, while Jones aims to reclaim the same title he once held for four years straight. If Cormier just so happens to knock off Jones at UFC 214, the case could certainly be made that he’s the best light heavyweight of all time.
