After submitting Anthony Johnson at UFC 187, Daniel Cormier issued an admonition to Jon Jones to "get [his] shit together." Well now it sounds like Daniel Cormier is tired of waiting for Jones to do so.
Cormier was set to defend his title against Jon Jones at UFC 200 this previous Saturday; however, days before the event Jones was removed from the card by USADA for a failed out of competition drug test. Anderson Silva stepped in on short notice to face Cormier and Cormier won a decision over Silva in a 3 round non-title fight which left many fans wanting more. Yesterday, Cormier spoke with Luke Thomas on his radio show on SiriusXM about Jon Jones and the cost of their rivalry.
"We've been scheduled to fight 4 times. We've fought the once. The first fight obviously he got hurt, then he beat me in January. I got hurt the second time, and now this. It just seems as though we can't make money together. We do good business when we do fight but we just haven't been able to get to the octagon. It's the weirdest thing and it keeps our story going and the reality is I don't think we really want our story to keep going. It's so draining and taxing mentally to be involved in this rivalry that we have."
The rivalry between the two is well documented and has been a lucrative one, drawing 800,000 pay-per-view buys and a $3.7 million gate for UFC 182 (a card without much other drawing power attached to it) and UFC 200 was tracking to be one of the biggest pay-per-views in company history before Jones was removed from the card. That drawing potential is likely to be neutered now though because Jones' failed drug test means he is staring down a lengthy suspension, possibly for 2 years though circumstances have allowed other fighters like Yoel Romero to get only 6 months. But even if Jones is lucky enough to have a short suspension, Cormier says he doesn't intend to wait for him, though he does still want to fight him.
"Before, I was like, ‘I've gotta fight Jones! I've gotta fight Jones!' and I still want to fight Jones. I want to fight Jones. Even if I was to finish my career with one loss only and I never fought him again I would still feel sick a little bit because I would never have gotten the opportunity to right the wrong that I feel that that fight was. But at the end of the day I can't control that. I can't want for him more than he wants for himself.
"You don't put yourself in those situations and I can't really count on him to be there. I can only control what I can control and fight whose there to be fought. Just like last year. Last year I fought who was there to fight. The people I fought were there to be fought: Rumble and Alexander. And then after Rumble and those guys fight I'll be there to fight against the people that are eligible to fight and we'll see what happens from there.
"I'm not willing to wait at all [for Jones]. Even if they suspend him for just a few months, I don't care. I'm probably gonna fight somebody different first. I need to separate myself from this a little bit, for me. For me and my mind, my mentality. I think I need to separate myself from him a little bit. It's so emotionally taxing with everything that has happened and it hasn't come to pass."
Cormier's desire not to wait for Jones may also have something to do with him rapidly approaching the end of his fighting career. Cormier turned 37 in March and told Luke Thomas that, though he has no hard and fast plans, he doesn't foresee himself fighting beyond 40.
"I don't really have a number but I will say this, I've been good with my money. I've got some security in that sense. I'm good for the future. There really is no reason for me to be fighting past 40. I don't need to be fighting at 40 years old. I should be spending time with my family and my children and just doing TV stuff. It's what I want to do. So I don't have an absolute time frame but if everything goes according to plan, there's no reason that I should be fighting at 40 years old. I think my athletic career will be okay at that point. I will be satisfied with everything I've done."
If Jones is suspended for the suspected 2 years, Cormier will be 39 when Jones is eligible to return to action. That would still fit within his hypothetical career window but how the two years would effect both men and their rivalry is impossible to say. In the meantime, Cormier is left watching Jones' struggles and hoping he can fix them before it is too late for him to get his chance at revenge.
"Jon Jones is a phenomenal athlete, a great champion, but a confused individual. He needs guidance and if he finds guidance he could actually be a very special member of society...He's a great champion in athletics, and outside he's just a confused person who is trying to find his way."
Excerpts from the interview with Luke Thomas are below.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
4 Bill. The UFC was sold to WME-IMG for $4 billion.
Cold blooded. Daniel Cormier responded to Donald Cerrone's comments about him.
8 figures. Jon Jones' manager says Jones lost out on 8 figure payday with removal from UFC 200.
Important part. Zuffa informs its fighters of UFC sale via email.
Move over Conor. UFC 200 salaries released with Brock Lesnar earning a disclosed $2.5 million.
EXTRA CREDIT READING
Pivot! Pivot!Jack Slack of Fightland uses a lot of GIFs to show you how Jose Aldo beat up Frankie Edgar on Saturday.
MEDIA STEW
New Lookin' for a Fight.
Michael McDonald colding Miguel Torres.
UFC Co-Founder Campbell McLaren went on AXS TV.
Tyron Woodley is doing a Vlog for his fight camp.
And Conor's Vlog.
Marc doing a Facebook Live thing today about all the news.
LISTEN UP
I don't always love Rogan's pod but this one with Chael is extremely interesting and worth a listen to.
TWEETS
Joanna is definitely more Diaz brother than Ronda.
UFC UFC @nickdiaz209 #LasVegas #fighter #fighters #mma #wmma #joannachampion #joannajedrz… https://t.co/HLkoU46CjL pic.twitter.com/HNXmHKiuAn
— Joanna Jedrzejczyk (@joannamma) July 11, 2016
Both $4 billion. One of them likely to return dividends significantly quicker.
I'd rather have Star Wars.
— Nathan Quarry (@NateRockQuarry) July 11, 2016
LOL. Yeah, because after paying all that, new ownership will want to raise operational costs. If selling for $4 billion doesn't get them to unionize, nothing will.
Perfect time to change the revenue split to ➡️ 46% / 54% split to be equal to the other major sports. #WeAllNeedToEat
— Jeremy Stephens (@LiLHeathenMMA) July 11, 2016
No more Uncle Frank.
I am honoured to have fought under the Fertitta regime! To have been mentored by these great people on this great business is a true honour!
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 11, 2016
Only together.
4 bil... I was probably worth more and so was everyone else right?
— Al Iaquinta (@ALIAQUINTA) July 11, 2016
Gotta catch em all.
There are fighters walking around the hotel catching Pokemon.
— Josh Samman (@JoshSamman) July 11, 2016
They built 135 around Ronda and look at it now. Just do it and see what happens.
Im excited to see the global expansion by the new @ufc team! Big things coming! Hopefully a few new #wmma weight classes too! I'm ready
— Cris Cyborg (@criscyborg) July 11, 2016
Yes it is champ.
Love is love @ufc #AndNew pic.twitter.com/bE2OfbBkS2
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) July 12, 2016
Made $100 grand, still flying coach. Stay humble.
Boarded on the Plane and heading Home with my dad and sister @colbeynorthcutt pic.twitter.com/FxRWW96Txd
— Sage Northcutt (@sagenorthcutt) July 10, 2016
Condit
Mark Hunt is the man.
Conor really does have excellent suits.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
N/A
TODAY IN MMA HISTORY
1996: UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman made his MMA debut, winning the one night tournament at UFC 10. Coleman defeated Don Frye with punches in the finals. This event also marked the debut of Bruce Buffer as the in ring announcer for the UFC.
2015: Stephen Thompson knocked out Jake Ellenberger with a spinning hook kick in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Have a good day y'all. See you tomorrow.
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