Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier shared one of the most iconic and contentious rivalries in mixed martial arts history. Despite many fighters resolving their differences post-retirement, it seems that Jones and Cormier will never reconcile. Recently, Cormier defended his legacy against criticism from Jones on his self-titled podcast.
Cormier addressed comments made by Jones regarding Tom Aspinall, where Jones implied that Cormier’s reign as champion during Jones’ absence was misleading.
Jones suggested that Cormier’s championship was a result of Jones being sidelined due to suspension for illegal substances, rather than a true indicator of superiority. Cormier rebutted this, stating that his circumstances were unique because Jones was banned from competition due to doping violations, which is not comparable to someone being sidelined by injury.
Cormier emphasized that during their active rivalry, Jones’ inability to compete was due to his own actions and not external circumstances. He criticized Jones for his attempts to downplay Cormier’s achievements by lumping together different situations to confuse the narrative. Cormier clarified that while Jones was suspended, he (Cormier) legitimately held the title because Jones was disqualified from competing.
Cormier’s comments were prompted by Jones’ recent activity on social media. Jones, who hasn’t fought since winning the heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, responded to a fan on X (formerly Twitter) about the creation of an interim heavyweight title.
The fan compared this to Cormier’s title run. Jones agreed that the interim title confused fans, much like how Cormier’s championship run was perceived during Jones’ suspension. Jones implied that fans were misled into thinking Cormier was the rightful champion during his absence.
Jones and Cormier’s rivalry includes two memorable fights. They first clashed at UFC 182, where Jones retained the light heavyweight title via unanimous decision. Their second fight at UFC 214 saw Jones initially reclaim the title with a third-round knockout, but this victory was later overturned to a no-contest after Jones failed a drug test. This contentious history underpins their ongoing conflict, with both men continuing to dispute each other’s legacies.
As Jones recovers from a tendon injury that delayed his title defense against Stipe Miocic, and Cormier remains active in the commentary and podcasting world, their verbal sparring continues to capture the attention of MMA fans. Their unresolved rivalry and differing views on their respective legacies ensure that their feud remains one of the sport’s most intriguing narratives.
