LAS VEGAS -- The rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier has not cooled since last year. Actually, it might be as intense as ever.
Jones brought a UFC belt with him to the "Unstoppable" press conference Friday here at MGM Grand. Cormier is, of course, the UFC light heavyweight champion. Jones was stripped of the title and suspended last year after a felony hit-and-run arrest.
Jones holding a belt didn't sit well with Cormier. Neither did the fans cheering wildly for Jones and booing him lustily.
"They cheer him," Cormier said. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I think it's a testament to his mental. It shows how disrespectful â how disrespectful to come out there with that belt. It shows that he thinks there are no repercussions for his actions. That's why he's up here with that title. If he understood his issues, he would not do that. He would respect what he lost because of his actions outside. But there is no change on that young man. He's doing the same type of sh*t."
Jones, 27, said he has been sober now for five months and he has developed character in his more than a year away from the Octagon. On Friday, "Bones" said he's on a mission to show others how one can bounce back even from daunting situations.
"There's no secret," Jones said. "I've had a lot of issues in my career. I think ‘DC,' he wants me to sit up here with my head hung low and a quitter attitude. I've gone through my moment and now i'm ready to get out of that, hold my head up high and forgive myself for some of the ways I've made mistakes and move forward."
Cormier, 36, was befuddled by the fan reaction Jones got. And perhaps even more flustered by how much he was booed.
"Guys, I've been sober," Cormier said. "I haven't done all these things. I haven't wrecked my vehicle. I haven't been suspended. I didn't get stripped of my championship. I didn't do all those things. These are normal things that adult human beings do. You cheer this guy for saying he's not going to do these things anymore. I have done this my entire life, but you boo me. Thank you. Thank you."
At one point, a reporter asked Jones to respond to something Cormier said. Jones took the opportunity to land a jab.
"Thanks for clarifying," Jones said. "I had no clue what he said over all those boos."
Jones had a respectful tone when talking about his past indiscretions. Cormier told the fans that it was all a front. Cormier said before the press conference that Jones and his team got into a scuffle with his team. He said Jones ripped him with pretty serious language not long before the two took the stage.
"Guys, for the record: Jon called me the biggest, lamest p*ssy he's ever met in his entire life," Jones said. ... "You want me to suck your dick like you told me? Is this not real now? Are we pretending? Are we pretending again?"
Jones couldn't hear Cormier at first due to audio issues at the press conference. UFC president Dana White had to relay Cormier's message to Jones. The former champ smiled and shot back.
"No, you are the biggest p*ssy I've ever seen for sure," Jones said.
Cormier said when the two meet in the main event of UFC 197 on April 23 back here at MGM Grand that things will be different than last time when Jones won a unanimous decision at UFC 182 in January 2015.
"I'm very confident," Cormier said. "My confidence has never wavered. I do feel good going into this rematch."
Jones actually agreed with Cormier on that point. He said there will be a change next month.
"Last time I was fighting to win," Jones said. "This time, I'm fighting to kick his ass."
Get the latest gear
