“I’ve given [the UFC] a couple dates I’d be willing to look at. Maybe you guys will know something soon. I’m going to make my decision as the champion sooner rather than later. Just put it like that… Jon was completely against [the idea of fighting Alexander Gustafsson in Sweden], because Jon said, ‘I’m the champion. I should decide where I want to fight.’ If I’m not mistaken, it was something to that effect. It’s the same situation. I don’t understand how he can judge me differently than how he wants to judge himself. Again, it’s just Jon being Jon… If I had to be completely honest, in terms of how historic it would be and how big it would be, obviously that would be a big deal. Now, for it to be Madison Square Garden, I think honestly Helwani, if it is the Garden, April 23 maybe becomes more intriguing. Obviously, like I said, for historic purposes it would be cool to fight in Madison Square Garden. But we don’t want to really give this guy what he wants. Yeah, yeah. I guess I’ll think about April 23.”
-Daniel Cormier talks to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour about his current stance on potentially fighting Jon Jones in New York.
Penick’s Analysis: To address Cormier criticizing Jones for making champion demands but not wanting to afford him the same, it’s simple: Jones doesn’t see Cormier as the champion. He doesn’t really need to, either. Jones beat Cormier in January, plain and simple. The title Cormier currently holds is, for all intents and purposes, a placeholder until he either defeats Jones or until Jones reclaims it. So despite having the technical title of champion right now, he’s not necessarily in the demand-making, location-refusing position Jones would have been in having already beat Gustafsson. Those are two completely different situations despite Cormier wanting them to be identical. Regardless, Cormier’s smart enough to understand the money to be made if that fight happens in New York, and if that’s what the UFC wants to put together, one would have to believe Cormier would come around on that idea.
[Photo (c) Jayne Kamin-Oncea via USA Today Sports]
DC would be stupid if he doesn’t fight Jon Jones at MSG. Especially with the chance beating him in his own backyard. And of course the money that he’ll make
In all the years I’ve been mooching off your site jamie pennick, that’s the biggest load of tosh you’ve ever written.
It doesn’t matter how Jones “views” it. He is not the champion. Cormier is. That is fact. Cormier is doing the same thing Jones did.
I believe Jones is the best mma fighter ever but you really shouldn’t be taking the stance your take suggests. Great site though.
I’m pretty excited to see if yall are gonna say all the same stuff about the champ never got beaten when/if gsp returns – doubt it
There’s a significant difference between the two situations. Cormier got beat by Jones clearly in January. It wasn’t two years ago. It wasn’t three years ago. It was January. When they fight again it will be less than a year and a half between the two bouts, and there’s no reason to believe right now that much will be different in the rematch.