Daniel Cormier, a former UFC double champion, recently addressed Jon Jones’ claim that he would have defeated him more decisively at heavyweight than in their light heavyweight bouts. Speaking on his ESPN show Good Guy/Bad Guy, Cormier expressed disbelief at Jones’ assertion, given their intense rivalry.
Jones, the current UFC heavyweight champion, made the comment in a YouTube interview with Geoffrey Woo, suggesting his speed and kicks would have overwhelmed Cormier at heavyweight. Cormier, now retired, found the statement surprising.
“[Jones] when I was actively fighting said, ‘I would not fight Daniel at heavyweight cause it gives him an advantage. That’s where he’s best at’. Molly, I’m 46 years old, I am retired. I swing a golf club in my free time. Yeah, he’s out of his mind,” Cormier said, referencing Jones’ 2019 statement to TNT Sports.
“He’s out of his mind!” 😅
Daniel Cormier responds to Jon Jones saying he’d beat at heavyweight worse than light heavyweight 👀 pic.twitter.com/wwH629oaNZ
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 13, 2025
Jones and Cormier Rivalry Revisited
Cormier and Jones clashed twice at light heavyweight, with Jones winning both encounters. Their first fight at UFC 182 in January 2015 ended in a unanimous decision for Jones, who defended his title.
Their rematch at UFC 214 in July 2017 saw Jones score a third-round knockout, but the result was overturned to a no-contest after Jones tested positive for a turinabol metabolite, leading to a suspension.
Cormier, a dominant heavyweight before moving to light heavyweight, won the UFC heavyweight title in 2018 by knocking out Stipe Miocic at UFC 226. He defended it against Derrick Lewis before losing it to Miocic in 2019.
Jones, who held the light heavyweight title from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2018 to 2020, moved to heavyweight in 2023, winning the title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. He defended it against Miocic at UFC 309 in November 2024.
Cormier’s heavyweight success, including wins over Miocic, Josh Barnett, and Frank Mir in Strikeforce and UFC, made him a formidable force in the division, which Jones acknowledged in 2019 as a reason to avoid fighting him there.
Jones’ recent claim contradicts his earlier stance, prompting Cormier’s sharp rebuttal. The rivalry, one of the most heated in UFC history, continues to spark debate years after their last encounter.
