“It’s hard for me to say I’m his equal right now because he won the first one. A real rivalry starts when you are going back and forth and you both hold victories over one another. I have to win this one for it to become Ali vs. Frazier or Lakers vs. Celtics, for it to become the big rivalry everyone already believes it to be. I have to win this fight because if I don’t then it just becomes Tyson vs. Holyfield where people thought it was going to be a rivalry, but Mike Tyson didn’t get his job done. It’s a rivalry in most terms, but the most important term for me personally is the competitive side. If I can’t win then it doesn’t matter. I can win all the arguing and bickering, but if I can’t win inside that cage then there isn’t even an argument. I want to win this fight then fans are going to see a true rivalry begin.”
-Daniel Cormier talks to Duane Finley at FloCombat.com to explain why his rivalry with Jon Jones isn’t yet a true rivalry.
Penick’s Analysis: The first fight with Jon Jones was the most important fight of Cormier’s career to date. This rematch is even bigger on that scale. He gets that, and he knows a second loss to Jones makes him just another name on the long list of fighters who have fallen to the best fighter in the world. A win at UFC 200 puts him on equal footing with Jones for the first time, and makes a third fight even bigger down the line. If he fails to secure that victory, then he just remains the second best.
[Photo (c) Jayne Kamin-Oncea via USA Today Sports]
Attention iPhone/iPad and Android users, if you’ve enjoyed our app in the past and followed us there, or if you’ve never checked it out, make sure to update to the latest version in the Apple store and/or Google Play store. We’ve launched a new look for the app, in line with our recent desktop overhaul. Make sure to check it out!
For current App users, swipe right to view next article, swipe left to view previous article.
Leave a Reply