The rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier was reignited on Monday.
Cormier, said on the most recent scene of his webcast, “DC and Helwani,” that he didn’t believe Jones’ (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) knockout force would make an interpretation of proficiently to the heavyweight division as “Bones” runs after climbing a weight class following long stretches of predominance at light heavyweight, incorporating two sessions with his main foe.
“Jon Jones won’t take out anyone (at heavyweight),” Cormier said. “He doesn’t hit hard enough. In the event that he was unable to take these fellows out at 205 (pounds), he’s not taking these heavyweights out.”
The remarks for Cormier immediately arrived at Jones’ radar and unmistakably didn’t agree with him. Jones’ latest updates have guaranteed he’s right now weighing 252 pounds, and all signs highlight “Bones” making his heavyweight debut against the victor of the Stipe Miocic versus Francis Ngannou rematch occurring 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. But of course, he wouldn’t let Jones get away without reminding him of his missteps (via Twitter):
hope you like this quick little edit I threw together for you @dc_mma pic.twitter.com/oBAiNLLGo5
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 2, 2021
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.