Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has always been a bitter rival of Daniel Cormier. Current light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Cormier has been critical of Jon’s out of ring antics which only fueled the feud. Moreover, Jon has failed drug tests, said some crazy things, but it was a felony hit and run car wreck that injured someone which tarnished his image the most. Cormier put him on blast for all of those which only prompted more shade to be thrown his way from Jones.
For the car crash incident, instead of jail time as one would expect, JJ got 18 months probation and was forced to appear 72 times for charities or youth outreach programs. Later, after again claiming he had turned his life around and winning the lightweight title back from Cormier upon his return – he failed another USADA drug test this time for a PED called turinabol. Jon’s camp said it was a tainted supplement but given the cost and the specific use of the drug the odds are astronomical that said supplements were the culprit. He was stripped of the belt which meant it went back to Cormier and Jon has never let us forget that he felt DC wasn’t the real 205 pound champion.
DC won the heavyweight belt by knocking out Stipe Miocic on July 7th, 2018 and this made him the second person behind Conor McGregor to reign over two UFC divisions simultaneously. In a chat with RT, Jon opened up about his struggle to accept Daniel Cormier’s amazing achievement.
A part of me was upset at first. First, I was surprised. Then I became a little upset because Daniel Cormier was crowned the first heavyweight and light heavyweight champion and in my heart, I know that Daniel Cormier is not the light heavyweight champion, so it bothered me at first.
The next day after a few hours of being awake I realized I cannot be a hater. Someone else’s success has nothing to do with me. What God has for Daniel Cormier is for Daniel Cormier and what he has for me is for me, and so I had to find a place in my heart to be happy for him.
At the same time, I feel like when I come back into the game and get my light heavyweight championship back and become a heavyweight champion simultaneously, I feel like the fans will know that I’m truly the first heavyweight and light heavyweight champion.
Jon has never been one to mince words and this will definitely not endear him to any fans. Daniel is one of the classiest champions in UFC history so continually trashing the man and demeaning his accomplishments is not a smart PR move.