Jon Jones returns the ‘favor’ and slams his old-time nemesis, Daniel Cormier, as a part of his birthday celebration. This comes days after Cormier unveils that he can’t get over Jon Jones ‘cheating’ with steroids.
Daniel Cormier, the UFC Hall of Famer and the former two-division champion, had two clashes with Jones throughout his career. When inducted as a part of the Hall of fame, earlier this year he finally admits that he once cheated as well.
Jon Jones Trolls Daniel Cormier With An Instagram Story For Cheater Comments
“I’m a big sports guy, so I am fully in tune with what getting into a hall of fame means.” – Cormier says. “It’s one of the biggest honors I could ever hope for. Fighting has not only provided a life for me, provided a life for my family, but to be recognized as one of the ones that have done it the best in the history of the sport means the world. It’s been a very, very difficult year, but this is a nice pivot from all the negatives that I’ve had to go through in the last few months.”
He admits to using the towel to support on it and reach weight. This happened before the UFC 210 when he was weighing in for his Anthony Johnson rematch.
On the weighing-in day, Daniel Cormier obviously failed to reach the needed weight. It was a real struggle for him to cut down to 205lbs. He stepped on the weight scale and missed weight. He returned to the lockers, and minutes after he magically made the 205lbs goal.
The happening did not go unnoticed by fellow UFC fighters. Criticism came from everywhere. People reacted as they saw this cheating to be intentional. To make it more controversial and to attract even more criticism, Cormier won the match by submission in the second round.
Recently Cormier admits to cheating back in UFC 210.
“Guys, I want to tell you something because I feel like right now is the time to be completely transparent.” – Cormier says in his speech when receiving the hall of fame title. “I think I may have grabbed the towel in Buffalo. I walked to the back after missing weight by 1.2 pounds. It was 1.2. I tried to give it up, guys. Trust me, I tried to give it up. I had a pound to lose.”
“They even went and called my wife to try and get me back in the tub. I said ‘No way, this sh*t is over.’ She told me ‘Daniel, just take a hot bath.’ I go, ‘It’s not that simple.’ I walk back, my coach, he goes ‘DC, do you remember the old wrestling trick?’” – Cormier continues. “I said, ‘Can you stand behind me?’ Because there’s two—you can put your hands behind you and your person can lift you up. He said, ‘No, it’s the towel one.’
“Do you understand the level of ridiculousness that has to happen in order for that to work?” Cormier said. “I looked down and I could not believe my luck. I am a lucky guy. Even when I would lose, the belt would just somehow come back to me. I was like, I’m a lucky guy.”
Though he confessed the cheating, on a recent episode of the Pivot Podcast, Cormier criticized Jones’s controversial past. He pointed out that Jones had used steroids for quite some time. Furthermore, even the USADA caught him. And for this, Cormier says that he still can’t move past it.
“He beats me, they suspend him for the first time.” – Cormier remembers his rivalry with Jones. “Next time, steroids, failed. Next time, steroids, failed. It’s like every time we fight, and you get suspended, if we go through the interaction, and you won the fight, that memory does not disappear.”
“I could know through the fights that maybe this dude is just better than me.” – Cormier continues. “But I also know that if you’re not doing the things that are boosting you, can you really work to the level that I’m working? … I can’t let it go. He’s a cheater.”
Jones and Cormier had their rematch scheduled for the UFC 200, but nothing came out of that since Jones tested positive for clomiphene and letrozole. The promotion then rescheduled the bout for UFC 214 and Jones won it by TKO. However, Jones again tested positive for steroids, this time turinabol and the bout is proclaimed a no contest.
Days after Cormier made the accusations that Jones is a cheater, Jones comes out with a post mocking the controversial towel situation. He posted about it on his Instagram story.
Jones is about to return to the octagon in a heavyweight debut after two long years away from it. A win over Dominick Reyes paved the way to this title shot.
The exact date of his return is still not revealed, however, there is some information leaked that he might be put against Stipe Miocic. All this is the UFC and Dana White opt to book an interim heavyweight title fight. Matching up against Francis Ngannou would be a no go since he is still recovering from the knee injury from UFC 270.
Daniel Cormier on the other side is happily retired. He finished his trilogy fight against Miocic at UFC 252 and retired.
Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier will remain one of the greatest rivalries in the history of the UFC. A third fight is almost, if not completely impossible to happen. However, the UFC will remember this classic clash as one of the top matchups.
It is no wonder if Daniel decides to come out of retirement. It all depends on the money that will be in play.
