Daniel Cormier: Jon Jones is primed for a defeat at UFC 197
Daniel Cormier wanted to fight Jon Jones again later this month more badly than any of us wanted to watch it happen. Clearly, the light heavyweight champ wants to avenge his lone professional loss, and he just seems to enjoy punching Jones' face.
Speaking to Brian Stann on his new SiriusXM show, Toe-2-Toe Cormier revealed another reason why he was particularly bummed to have to pull out with a leg injury and not get to fight his rival at UFC 197. "I've never pulled out of a fight before and there was a lot that went into this decision," he said.
"I think this is why it was so hard to actually make the call, because I truly do believe that right now is when [Jones is] primed to get beat."
Cormier listed several factors that went into his thinking that the disgraced returning former champion is as vulnerable to defeat as he's ever been, including his long layoff from competition and new doping regulations.
[This is] the first time [he's fighting] under USADA testing, meaning no more rehydrating with an IV," he began.
"He's been away from the game for a little bit. People kind of harp on the fact that it's been a year since he's fought, a year and a half, that's not the thing. Jon Jones has only fought me and Glover Texeira in two years. In two years, he's had two fights.
"Right now is the time that he's ready to get beat if there ever was a time. So it made for a tougher decision because in April of 2014 he fought Glover and then he fought me in January and he hasn't fought since."
Jones has been pumping a lot of iron in between fights lately and if he's heavier than usual due to lean muscle, Cormier seemed to be suggesting that "Bones" will have a harder time than usual dropping weight and recovering from that depletion since the use of IV's to rehydrate after UFC weigh-ins are no longer permitted.
Cormier painted the picture of a rusty, drained Jones. Whether that turns out to be true remains to be seen when Jones fights Ovince Saint Preux April 23, but Cormier clearly believes he lost out on an opportunity to fight a less optimized opponent.
"So the time away. First time not dealing with the hydration through IV. First time under such strict testing with USADA. All these factors play it to me like 'man I've gotta get him in the octagon right now,'" he concluded.
"I think this is the time that he's ready to get beat."
