Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier 2: History of their Epic Rivalry

Arguably the greatest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter of all time, Jon Jones returns to the octagon to compete against his bitter rival Daniel Cormier. The two met in the octagon for the first time back in January of 2015, where Jones had a boatload of success, scoring a unanimous decision victory over Cormier. The fight was very close but Jones was able to display his versatility and willingness to fight on any terms, which heavily contributed to his success. Immediately after the fight, Jones hit the “suck it” gesture to Cormier to elaborate on the hate and disrespect he has for him.

The hate between the two started before the fight, both went at each other anytime they crossed paths. A heated verbal exchange between the two before appearing live on ESPN, highlights the deep hate the two have for each other. Serious threats were thrown around as the bad blood intensified after every spoken word. See the video below.
After their epic battle, Jones couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble. He tested positive for cocaine and was involved in a hit-and-run incident in which he was the one at fault. Consequently, UFC President Dana White stripped him of his title and suspended him from competition. This was the opportunity of a lifetime for Cormier to get another crack at the title, this time against Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson. Cormier went on to defeat Johnson to begin his reign as the UFC Light Heavyweight champion.
After Jones’ suspension was over, an obvious rematch with Cormier was the fight to make and White made that happen. However, Cormier pulled out of the fight due to a foot injury, so Jones defeated Ovince Saint-Preux to obtain the interim title. The fight between Cormier and Jones was finally scheduled for UFC 200 and just three days out, Jones was pulled from the fight by USADA for failing another drug test. He is the first fighter to get stripped of his title twice by the UFC. Cormier was crushed by the news but he continued to defend his title in the absence of Jones against quality talent like Alexander Gustaffson, and a rematch with‘Rumble’ Johnson.
As we fast-forward to present day, Jones seems to have cleaned up his act and looks ready to compete. Cormier is hell-bent on cementing his legacy as the greatest light heavyweight of all time, which correlates with defeating Jones who stands as the greatest light heavyweight of all time. The lead up to this fight has been as great as we’ve ever seen it, watch the two exchange insults at the summer kickoff press conference below.
The aftermath of this fight is almost as interesting as the fight itself. If Cormier wins, we will definitely see a rubber match between the two to settle their feud. If Cormier loses, does he retire, or does he move to heavyweight? Then we may get to see Jones and Gustaffson 2 which will be a highly anticipated fight as well. Nevertheless, don’t miss UFC 214, the entire card is stacked. This is definitely the best fight card the UFC has put together in quite some time. Check out Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier 1 below.
