Daniel Cormier may be retired from MMA, but he hasn’t retired from his thoughts on Jon Jones.
The former two-division UFC Champion has only been beaten by two men in his legendary career: Jones and Stipe Miocic. However, his defeats to ‘Bones’ come crackling down with controversy.
There was much hoopla before and after Jones’ rematch against Cormier. The first instance came whenever Jones tested positive for estrogen blockers clomiphene and letrozole in 2016, which cancelled their meeting at UFC 200. The second time around would be after Jones dismantled DC with strikes at UFC 214. Of course, that was plagued with controversy following Jones pissing hot for the steroid, turinabol.
Cormier Recounts His History With Jones
DC would revisit his storied saga with Jones on The Pivot Podcast.
“He beats me, gets suspended for the first time,” Cormier stated. “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.
“Even though they said it’s a no contest, (they) saw (me) lose. It’s the truth. All he gets is time. Jon Jones even then was making probably $5 million. So Jon Jones, 2017, fights me in Anaheim, wins the fight, gets that ‘and new champion’ from beating me. (Afterward) they find out he tests positive for steroids. They say, ‘Oh man, he’s suspended for 18 months.’ Now you get 18 months, (but) you still got your money. And you’re still only 25, 26 years old. I’m 37, 38 years old. You’re 27, and you get a year off.”
‘I Can’t Let It Go’
DC would continue the ‘horrible’ story that still sticks with him to this day. The former champion continues to ask the question of ‘what if Jones wasn’t on steroids?’ and how his career could have went, if that wasn’t the case.
“It’s horrible, but it’s easy for him to say water under the bridge. But for me, it’s like, ‘Man, you did some stuff to my career that never let me settle, because now I don’t know.’
“I could know through the fights that maybe this dude is just better than me,” Cormier said. “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,” Cormier added. “He’s a cheater.”
