The rivalry between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones was officially put to an end at UFC 214. But it all slightly changed when Jones tested positive for anabolic steroid Turinabol.
If Jones is found guilty of taking the drug, the result would be overturned and the title would be back in Cormier’s hands. It would, however, bring back the old conversation of him “being a champion without defeating the best.”
The 38-year-old Cormier says he is willing to fight Jones for the third time to solidify his name as the greatest light heavyweight champion in the UFC. But with the possible four-year ban that USADA would be imposing on Jones, along with his age, he is not too optimistic for it to happen.
“The sad thing is, man, I would actually fight him again,” Cormier said on Monday’s MMA Hour episode (via MMA Fighting). I just don’t know that there will be time. Because at the end of this process, if there is a suspension, I will have run out of time, because I’ve always said that I won’t be fighting at 40, and I’ve done so much better than I ever could’ve envisioned when I started this career.”
“If this is true, as it probably is — because USADA is a very upstanding organization, they would not have said anything if they just made a mistake — then I will probably run out of time, and the last time we fought will be the last time we fought. That’s the truth.”
If he does get to reclaim his belt, Cormier promises to prove to people that he is indeed worthy of it. And if he doesn’t, he is willing to take the necessary measures to make it happen.
“The crazy thing was that, the first time (in 2015), I got a lot of, ‘you were given the belt,’ when in reality I won the belt by fighting Anthony (Johnson). This time, I think I would be given the belt because of what happened,” Cormier said. “As a competitor, I know that we fought. But if he was not fighting cleanly, then how is that fair to me?”
“So if — and I keep saying ‘if’ because again, Jon is entitled to due process — if it is proven that he was dirty, then we would not have fought anyway, and I would still have my title regardless. So yeah, I will take the belt, I will be a proud champion, just as I was before, because I will show people what the belt means. Now, if it comes back that it’s not dirty, then I go back to work to get a belt so that I can find a way to fight him again for a title.”
