Cormier Still Open to Jones Trilogy Bout
A trilogy bout between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones has always been anticipated but never for certain. But Cormier now says the idea can is still on the table, so long as the price is right.
Jones and Cormier have produced one of the most heated rivalries with all their intense confrontations, verbal exchanges, social media wars and near brawls. They met twice before inside the Octagon, with Jones handing Cormier his first loss and defending the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 182 in January 2015. That ended up being the final title defense Jones would have before being suspended for an April 2015 auto incident in which he crashed into a pregnant woman’s car and fled the scene.
Jones was then suspended for a year after failing a drug test — days before he and Cormier were supposed to rematch at UFC 200. Jones eventually defeated Cormier in a rematch at UFC 214 but failed another drug test, forcing the result to be overturned to a No Contest and Jones’ reign unrecognized.
Cormier, who some credit as being the one to “expose” Jones and has previously stated he wanted nothing to do with him anymore, now says he may consider a trilogy bout if the money is there.
“So this is the thing about a fight with Jones and I. It can always happen,” Cormier said at the UFC Summer Press Conference. “It can happen whether it’s here, whether it’s in an Octagon. It may happen in the back when I’m leaving the building. It just always happens. Neither him nor I ever shy away from the opportunity to punch each other in the face.
“So when I’m done with Stipe and Dana opens up the book and goes this is what you guys are getting paid, then you guys may get a third fight. But ultimately that’s what’s gonna determine it.”
Two obstacles might prevent such a thing from happening — the first is what weight class the fight would be contested at. Jones recently stated he feels work still needs to be done in his division and would only jump to heavyweight if fan interest was high enough. Meanwhile, despite Cormier’s previous commitment to competing at both weights when he was champ-champ, some feel Cormier may not want to go through with a weight cut again.
Then there’s the uncertainty of Cormier’s future, as he recently hinted his heavyweight title rematch with Stipe Miocic at UFC 241 could be his final fight. Cormier wished to retire by his 40th birthday, which took place back in March, but he put it on hold in an attempt to gain a fight with WWE star and former UFC champ Brock Lesnar, which ultimately fizzled out.
Cormier says if he’s going to go in for one more fight with Jones, he wants to know in his mind he is better than ever before.
“After back surgery, I felt worse initially. But now I feel better,” Cormier said. “I go into the gym now and I’m not leaned over. There were a lot of times where I would get off the wall after training and have to walk myself out of my back hurting. I would lean over at the waist and walk up to be straight, I couldn’t just stand straight. Now that I got this thing fixed and my training’s going well, I feel better than ever.
“I feel like I’m going to be able to show that on August 17. I thought last fight went well, you think it would go as good as it could, but I think I’ll show an even better version of myself in Anaheim.”
Jones will defend the light heavyweight championship in the main event of UFC 239 this weekend.
Original Story: MMA Fighting