“Yep, that [title bout] the biggest fight of my life. If they want to make me wait that long, I’ll definitely do it. It gives me plenty of time to get ready for whoever… I was getting ready for Jon Jones not Daniel Cormier. It’s a big difference when you’re getting ready for 6-[foot]-4 compared to 5-10, 5-11, something like that. I wasn’t [ready] but I still went out there and did my best. When I fought Daniel, the first round I dropped him and I came in and I tried to finish him and I gassed out. When you’re gassed and you’ve got somebody like Daniel Cormier on top of you grinding on you, it can do a lot to you mentally and damn near break you… Jon [Jones] and I will fight one day. We have mutual respect for each other. We’ve never talked trash about each other. Every time we see each other, we show each other love. Especially with the media and everybody hyping up the fight between him and I, I was supposed to be the guy to knock him out and beat him and all that other stuff. I think we definitely want to challenge each other and see what we’re made of. We’re just two alpha males like that, that’s competitive.”
-Anthony Johnson, expecting a title fight after his UFC on Fox 18 win over Ryan Bader Saturday night, talks during the post-fight press conference about his Interim Title loss to Daniel Cormier, and why he expects the fight with Jon Jones to come eventually (via FoxSports.com).
Penick’s Analysis: Johnson’s without question the new No. 1 contender once again. If Daniel Cormier somehow upsets Jon Jones, that could delay things for Johnson, but even then he’d have earned a second crack at Cormier with a full camp. However, if it’s Jones regaining the title whenever that fight happens, the Johnson fight is one that will still be excellent for the UFC to make. It was supposed to happen last year, and it’s just as enticing a fight stylistically as it was then. Johnson’s power is a significant weapon, and the type of singular skill that could have an effect on the seemingly unbeatable Jones. At any rate, whether he has a chance in that fight or not, he’s likely earned the right to get that fight later this year.
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