Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones had one of the most heated rivalries of all UFC champions, and they’re still fanning the flames eight years after the fact.
Cormier-Jones concluded with two fights, both of which Jones won. However, the rematch in 2017 was overturned to a no-contest after Jones tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs – just one of several incidents that mar his otherwise legendary career.
The result weighs heavily on Cormier, a consistently clean competitor – apart from the litany of eye pokes in his trilogy with Stipe Miocic. Cormier believes ‘dirty s—‘ eradicates Jones from the greatest of all time (GOAT) discussion.
Daniel Cormier praises Jon Jones before snubbing him from GOAT list due to ‘dirty s—‘
Speaking at the UFC 312 Q&A, Cormier commented on Jones’ position in the greatest of all-time rankings.
“You can’t really deny his greatness,” Cormier admitted. “Look at what he has done. The guy has really fought through three generations of fighter. . . . So yeah, of course he’s one of the greatest fighters of all time. But when you do dirty s—, you don’t get to be called the greatest of all time.”
When is Jon Jones fighting next
Fight fans anticipate a Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall clash soon, but Jones’ recent announcement was a colossal disappointment. Teasing a ‘big announcement’ with the ‘#andstill’ hashtag, Jones gave fans 24 hours’ notice on his big reveal, only to unveil his support for a non-profit organization with the directive of challenging big US Healthcare companies.
UFC CEO Dana White revealed that Aspinall is eager to fight Jones, but negotiations are still taking place. It’s a tricky predicament for Jones, who was on the cusp of retiring before his pectoral tear cut him from UFC 295. Aspinall won the interim heavyweight title in place of Jones, and now he’s the most valid contender ‘Bones’ has had for many years.
Jones can either retire on top with questions unanswered or risk his near-perfect legacy on one of the most dangerous fights of his career.