Daniel Cormier
Daniel Cormier

The UFC 178 media tour began today with a bang as UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and challenger Daniel Cormier got into a faceoff scuffle that knocked the backdrop down!  You can see that here if you missed it.

The two fighters will fight in the main event of UFC 178 that’s slated to take place on September 27 in Las Vegas. Cormier spoke to the media today about the upcoming fight with Jones and how he plans to deal his opponent:

On selling the fight against Jones:

“No. No. I don’t even talk to Jon. The fight sells itself. We don’t have to say anything because we have two of the best fighters in the world and that sells the fight itself.”

Jump in competition:
“I don’t expect him to be Patrick Cummins or Dan Henderson, but, who am I? I have different skills than a lot of the guys he’s fought. If anything, he’s going to be the one who is surprised. I don’t think he’s competed against someone who knows how to compete at the level that I know how to compete.”

Overcoming Jones’ length:
“I just have to go forward. I’m not going to stand on the outside and let him dictate where this fight goes. I’m going to go forward, I’m going to get in his face from the very beginning of the fight, and I’m just going to make it dirty. There’s no secret to how to fight Jon Jones, stay on the outside and you’re going to lose. I’m not willing to do that. 

On taking the fight now rather than later: 
“I was okay waiting until January, but it wasn’t that I needed to wait. I could fight today, I could fight in September. So yea, I’m glad that the fight is happening right now. I’ve wanted a title shot for a long time, so when it happens, it doesn’t matter. I’ll be prepared to fight. My knee is fine, 100% and I am just excited for this opportunity. For me, this is bigger than the UFC championship. This is a culmination of a lifetime of athletics. This is a 15 year old kid going to Budapest, Hungary to compete for a world championship; this is a guy who went to the Olympic Games to try to become the best in the world. For me, this is a lifetime of competition and this is the culmination.”

I think Cormier has the right mindset when it comes to closing the distance against Jones. That’s where Cormier is most dangerous, and from that range he can implement a lot of the tools that have made him successful up to this point. However, saying it and doing it are two different things, and that’s why they’ll fight in a little over a month.

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