UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones recently weighed in on a hypothetical prime-vs-prime fight against his longtime rival, Daniel Cormier. According to Jones, a clash between the two at their peak would be decisively one-sided in his favor at the heavyweight limit.
Both Jones and Cormier are widely considered among the greatest fighters to ever compete in the Octagon. With a professional record of 28-1 with one no-contest, Jones has a career marked by dominance, with his only official loss being a disqualification against Matt Hamill. Few opponents truly tested Jones like Alexander Gustafsson and Daniel Cormier.
Cormier faced Jones twice at light heavyweight. Their first encounter at UFC 182 resulted in a decision loss for Cormier, followed by a TKO loss in the UFC 214 rematch in 2017. However, the result of the second fight was later overturned to a no-contest after Jones tested positive for the steroid Turinabol.
Although the rematch was a more competitive affair before the finish, Cormier never had the opportunity for a third fight against Jones. He subsequently moved up to the heavyweight division, where he became a two-division world champion by knocking out then-champion Stipe Miocic in the first round the following year.
Years after Cormier`s retirement from mixed martial arts, Jones himself now holds the UFC heavyweight title. Reflecting on their storied rivalry, Jones expressed confidence in how a fantasy matchup at heavyweight would play out.
Jones Predicts Dominant Win Over Prime Cormier at Heavyweight
Similar to his experience at light heavyweight, Daniel Cormier eventually faced defeats in the heavyweight division, notably losing his final two career fights to Stipe Miocic at ages 40 and 41. However, Cormier also enjoyed a significant period of dominance as a heavyweight, starting his career 15-0 and winning the title at 39.
In a recent interview with Geoffrey Woo, Jones was asked about a potential trilogy fight against a peak Daniel Cormier, but this time at heavyweight.
“Peak ‘Bones’ vs. peak DC at heavyweight?” Jones posed.
“I believe I beat Daniel Cormier at heavyweight worse than I beat him at light heavyweight,” Jones asserted.
He elaborated on his reasoning: “I feel like my speed has transferred over in a way that his hasn’t. I think I beat him up pretty worse at heavyweight.”
Jones also highlighted his increased power at the higher weight class. “I kick harder. I punch harder as a heavyweight, but I kick a lot harder. They’ve seen what my kicks did to him [in] the first fight,” he added, referencing their initial meeting.
Jon Jones currently holds a perfect 2-0 record in the heavyweight division, securing finishes against former division champions Ciryl Gane and Stipe Miocic.
Jon Jones Reflected on Cormier as His ‘Biggest Rival’ and ‘Motivator’
Regardless of the official outcome—whether a knockout victory or a no-contest due to the positive test—Jones`s win in their UFC 214 rematch effectively brought an end to his intense in-cage rivalry with Cormier.
Their second fight was closely contested on the judges` scorecards heading into the third round, where Jones ultimately landed the decisive head kick followed by ground and pound to finish the fight.
Even more than seven years later, the heated feud between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier is widely considered one of the greatest rivalries in UFC history, marked by significant fights and memorable exchanges outside the cage.
Despite the intense animosity leading up to their bouts, Jones offered words of respect for Cormier immediately after their second fight, acknowledging him as his “biggest rival” and “motivator” during his post-fight interview.
“I wanna take this time to thank Daniel Cormier for being my biggest rival and motivator,” Jones stated at UFC 214.
He continued with praise for his opponent`s character: “Daniel Cormier, he has absolutely no reason to hang his head. He has been a model champion, a model husband, a model father, a teammate, a leader.”
Jones concluded by expressing admiration: “I aspire to be a lot more like that man because he’s an amazing human being… Unfortunately, we are opponents, but outside of that, he is a true champion for the rest of his life.”