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СпутникиРНSpaceXРоскосмосNASADaniel Cormier insists his old rival Jon Jones should not win Fighter of the Year without at least one more win. Jones came back in spectacular fashion after three years out of action.
By WILL GRIFFEE
Published: 06:23 EDT, 29 June 2023 | Updated: 06:42 EDT, 29 June 2023
Daniel Cormier insists his old rival Jon Jones should not win Fighter of the Year without at least one more win.
Jones came back in spectacular fashion after three years out of action to claim the UFC heavyweight title by dismantling Ciryl Gane in the first round of their fight back in March.
He is expected to face Stipe Miocic next, but nothing has been confirmed in terms of a date.
'Bones' has been nominated for the award along with welterweight champion Leon Edwards, Amanda Nunes and Islam Makhachev.
Cormier believes Jones should not be in the conversation for the 2023 ESPY award for best MMA fighter unless he wins again.
Daniel Cormier does not think Jon Jones should be Fighter of the Year from one win
Jones returned from a three-year absence to beat Ciryl Gane (right) back in March
'I just don't know if one fight in the year against Ciryl Gane puts you in that position,' Cormier said on his ESPN show 'DC & RC.'
'And that's no knock on Ciryl. It was just one fight. You gotta think of the storylines that follow these other athletes.
'From Makhachev beating 'Do Bronx' (Oliveira) to win the belt, from Makhachev beating Alexander Volkanovski.
'Then you look at Amanda losing her belt to Julianna (Peña) and then winning it back. Then Leon Edwards doing what he did. Jon Jones is in there because Jon Jones is the biggest star.
'He's the biggest star that's holding a championship right now outside of Israel Adesanya. That's why he's in there. What's crazy about it is, he might win it because of him being the biggest star of the people in there.'
He went on: 'I think Jones needed one more performance to find himself in the running for an ESPY. The storyline just doesn't add up.'
'I agree with Jon Jones being best comeback athlete, yes,' Cormier said. 'I'm all in on that. Three years away, comes back and becomes the heavyweight champion of the world, absolutely, yes.'
Cormier and Jones have a long and bitter history together.
'Bones' is in the mix for the prize and would have a better chance if he beats Stipe Miocic
Jones won via KO against Cormier when they fought in 2017 before the result was overturned
Jones first beat Cormier back in 2015 to defend the light-heavyweight title, later being stripped of the belt for violating UFC Athlete Conduct policy.
They rematched in 2017, Jones winning by KO this time, only for the result to be ruled a no contest when he tested positive for a substance on the UFC's banned list.
Cormier and Jones infamously brawled at a press conference and have publicly traded barbs for years.
But now DC is in the commentary booth and retired from competition, there has been a cooling of tensions and the hatchet has been buried.