UFC star Jon Jones continues his verbal jabs at long-time adversary Daniel Cormier. This latest exchange follows Cormier`s comments criticizing Jones for re-entering the drug testing pool soon after announcing his retirement from the sport.
Jones, a former champion in two weight divisions, surprised many last month by stating he would step away from competition, allowing Tom Aspinall to claim the interim heavyweight title. However, weeks later, news of a potential UFC event at the White House reportedly prompted Jones to reconsider, leading him back into the official drug testing program.
Reports suggest Jones is eager to compete in this potential landmark event, stating he isn`t particular about who his opponent would be. Daniel Cormier, now an analyst, appears skeptical of Jones`s actions, suggesting he shouldn`t be raising fans` expectations with hints of a fight after his recent retirement.
Jones Responds to Cormier on Social Media
The intense animosity between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier dates back approximately 11 years to their initial fight booking. This ignited one of the most bitter rivalries in combat sports history. The fighters eventually met twice, with Jones winning both encounters – first by unanimous decision, then by knockout.
However, the result of their second fight was overturned after Jones failed a drug test following his stoppage victory via head kick at UFC 214. Despite both men eventually retiring from active competition, their disagreements have never been fully resolved.
Recently, when a fan prompted Jones about Cormier`s earlier remarks calling him a “quitter,” Jones subtly retorted via tweet, “Sometimes you gotta know when to quit, sometimes you gotta know when to let things go. We should be constantly evolving, quitting certain things could be the best decision a person ever made.”
Daniel Cormier Questioned Jones`s Re-Entry into Testing
Cormier`s apparent concern regarding Jones`s return to the UFC drug testing pool stems from a worry that Jones might mirror the behavior of Conor McGregor. McGregor has frequently teased comebacks over the past four years, including a fight last summer that was ultimately canceled.
During an episode of his show with Chael Sonnen, Cormier commented on their ongoing dynamic, “Jon Jones and I don’t see eye to eye in most instances and, boy, he’s been great for my YouTube here this last couple months.”
“Him flopping all over the place has been great for my YouTube,” Cormier continued. “But please don’t become what Conor has become in the media. Every time a big story breaks, Conor’s like, ‘I’m back,’ or ‘I’m doing this.’ Don’t do that. Don’t try to make it about you when you voluntarily walked away from this.”
Cormier drew a distinction between Jones and McGregor`s situations: “Conor didn’t voluntarily walk away. Conor got hurt, and he left. He just hasn’t come back. Jones voluntarily said ‘I’m done.’ So now that he’s done, don’t try to make these stories about you whenever you’re a guy that’s supposed to have walked away from the game.”
