“There has to be a win. This is do or die for me. This is the ultimate in competitiveness. This is the ultimate top dog. This is it. This is the big one. I can’t go 0-2 against the man. I said to Jon I’m ready to die to beat you and he said be prepared to do that. I don’t think he understood the truth in those words. There is no coming back from this for me. This is it. All my dreams are crushed if I don’t win this fight. You don’t get a third chance against a guy and I’m not confident that anyone else could be Holly Holm in this division. I’m the one that has to do it. Because, no disrespect to Alexander Gustafsson or Anthony Johnson, I’ve fought them and neither one of those guys could beat Jon Jones. I’m the only one that could do it. This is life or death for me.”
-Daniel Cormier talks to FoxSports.com about the unmatched importance of his rematch with Jon Jones at UFC 200 on Saturday night.
Penick’s Analysis: He’s probably right on point regarding the rest of the division, but I don’t know if he’s got it in him to beat Jones. Jones had more success against Cormier than any other fighter had ever had against Cormier; the inverse of that is just not true. The closest Jones has come to a loss as Champion was Vitor Belfort’s armbar, the Alexander Gustafsson fight, and I suppose breaking his toe off against Chael Sonnen. Barring injury it’s hard to see Jones actually losing to anyone in this division, and Cormier’s performance in the first fight – and even in his win over Alexander Gustafsson – doesn’t lend confidence that he’s the man to get it done. If this is where his mind is at right now, he could be in for serious disappointment come Sunday morning.
[Photo (c) Jayne Kamin-Oncea via USA Today Sports]
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