“To hear something like this is very sad from a competitive and financial standpoint. I don’t know exactly to explain how I’m feeling right now. I’m just very disappointed. I’ve worked really hard to prepare for this. You take care of what you can take care of and that’s what I did. More than anything, I’m really disappointed… I’ve trained hard and long. And if anyone would fight, I’d fight. But if it doesn’t make sense for the organization or for me, then it doesn’t make sense. So I really don’t know what’s next. It’s very difficult to ask someone to come into this situation… This chapter in my life had been dragging me and it’s made me ugly. I have to move forward and start to clear my mind in regards to him… I’m just here to fight and try to be an example for kids to look up to. If you do the right thing and be nice to people and care about people, people will care about you. I’ve made my mistakes, I’m trying to do things the best way that I can.”
-Daniel Cormier reacts to Jon Jones’ failed USADA test and removal from UFC 200 during an impromptu press conference in Las Vegas (via UFC.com).
Penick’s Analysis: If Cormier doesn’t fight on this card it’s financially devastating, as he’ll miss out on what would have been, without question, the biggest payday of his career. The UFC isn’t just going to give him his payday out of the kindness of their hearts, so he’s in a situation where he may potentially have to face someone to recoup some of what that payday could have been, and he’s not necessarily in the best mental state to do that. It’s not just Cormier hurt by this either; a bunch of fighters on this card had pay-per-view points that will be affected by Jones’ removal, as it’s going to take a hit in the buyrate because of this news. Fighting on or not, Cormier still won’t wind up being done with Jones, because the specter of his first loss will forever have him pegged as the “best of the rest,” and who knows what happens with Jones here out of this entire situation.
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