After two-and-a-half years, the much-awaited rematch between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones is finally happening. The Honda Center in Anaheim will be the setting for this light heavyweight title clash at UFC 214 on July 29th, with the challenger currently favored to prevail victorious over the reigning champion.
MMA odds curator and sportsbook reviewer Sportsbook Nation quotes TopBet and Bovada, both of which favor Jones as the odds-on favorite with prices of -260 (and -250) to reclaim his title over Cormier (+200).
Despite facing problems inside and outside the octagon, Vegas’ experts believe that Jones is still the one to beat in the light heavyweight division. “Jonny Bones” had a 13-match win streak before going on hiatus on two separate occasions. He defeated Cormier in January of 2015, via unanimous decision, to successfully defend the light heavyweight title for the eighth-consecutive time before being arrested for a hit-and-run charge.
Jones then won the interim title over Ovince Saint Preux in his return on April 2016 when Cormier bowed out of the supposed rematch dealing with a foot injury. Unfortunately for Jones, he ended up serving a one-year suspension from the UFC for illegal substance abuse just three months after defeating Saint Preux, further delaying his rematch against Cormier.
Meanwhile, Cormier stayed out of trouble and reeled off four-straight wins after his loss to Jones. He won the vacant light heavyweight championship over Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in May of 2015 and has successfully defended the title twice, with his latest defense being another win via submission against Johnson this past April. “DC” even secured a unanimous win over the legendary Anderson Silva at UFC 200 in a non-title bout.
Both men enter UFC 214 with just one loss on their respective MMA records, with Jones having a slight lead of 22 victories over Cormier’s 19. Jones’ lone defeat dates back to 2009 – two years prior to becoming light heavyweight champ – after a rather controversial disqualification for 12-6 elbows versus Matt Hamill in The Ultimate Fighter season finale. Cormier, on the other hand, suffered his only professional MMA loss to Jones himself.
Regardless of how you view Jones as a person, there’s no denying that the native of Rochester still has an edge over Cormier in matters beyond their professional records. Jones is nine years younger than his rival and also has a five-inch height and 12.5-inch reach advantage.
However, rust from Jones will certainly play a factor heading into the UFC 214. With Cormier yet to be taken down by another UFC fighter than Jones and with in-ring momentum on the three-time wrestling gold medalist’s side, the rematch is definitely closer than it seems… and we all can’t wait to find out exactly how this blockbuster main event in July will go down.