LOS ANGELES -- Daniel Cormier might have the UFC's official recognition as the UFC light heavyweight champion. But Jones goes into their UFC 200 main event holding a clear-cut victory over the man holding the belt.
And as far as Jones is concerned, that means all the pressure will be on Cormier when they meet in Las Vegas on July 9.
"I think DC has a lot of pressure on him," Jones said Tuesday. "After I win this second fight, he's over. He's really over. He's done a great job of doing commentary work, but it will be a major blow to his legacy to lose again."
If Cormier wins the rematch, then they're tied up and a trilogy fight would beckon. But if Jones again defeats Cormier, that would mean a pair of defeats to Jones would hang over Cormier's otherwise stellar career.
"I just think the pressure's on for him," Jones said. "It really is a make-or-break situation for him. I enjoy being in the position that I am, I feel there's a lot less pressure on me. I'm 28 years old and I have a long time to fight, where he's in a position where if he loses this one, he never really was the champion, and I think he knows that."
Jones defeated Cormier via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 182. After being stripped of the light heavyweight title two months later due to a legal situation, Cormier won the vacant title in Jones' absence 13 months ago.
As such, Jones feels it's extra important to win the rematch and prove that this is the "Jon Jones era," and not the "Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier" era.
"I think he tries to paint the picture of, it's me and him and the rest of the division, but that's not the way No. 1 works," Jones said. "There's only one top dog and then there's the rest of the division. I'm excited to go out there and prove that this is my time and my era. I don't want to share this time with anyone else, I don't want anyone to say it was the Jon Jones and DC era together. I want it to be my time."
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