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Despite the ill will between them, Daniel Cormier has no doubts about his rival Jon Jones when it comes to wanting to fight new UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
In the most recent episode of the “DC & Helwani” podcast, Cormier shared his thoughts on the potential for a heavyweight title game between Jones and Ngannou.
During the UFC 260 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White cast doubt on whether Jones actually wanted the fight after posting a tweet saying “Show me money, ”believing he said it as a potential scapegoat to avoid a heavyweight fight. champion.
Jones hit back with several tweets denying the claim, saying he just wanted to get paid what he thought was worth.
Despite their bitter rivalry, Cormier came to Jones’ defense.
“Jon Jones, for all that is between us, is not afraid of Francis Ngannou,” said Cormier. “He is not afraid my brother. I understand that most people would be afraid. But guess who else wasn’t afraid? Stipe Miocic, and Derrick Lewis and Cyril Gane. These guys are not afraid.
Jon Jones and Dana White lead a public negotiation
Rather, DC thinks it is about negotiating tactics between the UFC and Jones.
“This is where you start playing the game if you’re Dana and Jones. Jones wants his money, Dana has to show he has options, ”Cormier said. “That’s all that’s going on, isn’t it?” High level negotiations are what is happening now. “
Cormier also discussed whether the Pound-for-Pound King truly believes he’s capable of defeating the new UFC heavyweight champion.
“Make no mistake, Jones thinks he will beat Francis Ngannou. Like any great champion would believe they would beat him, ”Cormier said. “Now is that the case? I do not know. But Jon Jones is one of the most talented guys I’ve ever seen inside the Octagon. And if you’re going to find someone who can piece together a way to solve this puzzle, it’s Jon Jones. Let’s not be crazy here.
Cormier also referred to earlier instances where other high profile fighters have negotiated with the UFC in the public eye.
“Jon Jones feels he is defending himself against his name. The reality is they are only negotiating in public, ”Cormier said. “We saw this with Conor [McGregor], we’ve seen this with other fighters in the past. I believe [the fight] come. I really do. “
Cormier also understands Jones’ desire for more money.
“Jones has defended his title so many times. So I imagine he had salary bumps. Now he wants his biggest pay raise, and you know which man? Hats off to him. Go get paid, because it’s going to be a massive fight for him and the UFC. But otherwise? If the UFC doesn’t want to pay it, they’ll just move on to the next one. “
Daniel Cormier thinks Jones can beat Ngannou
Looking more towards the potential match than the negotiating fallout of this potential superfight, Cormier believes Jones has a significant chance of defeating Ngannou.
“If Jones can fight his fight, he could potentially separate Francis from the outside. He’s that kind of guy, ”Cormier said. “He’s a smart fighter. He knows how to maneuver and manage combat.
While Cormier thinks Jones has a solid chance, DC also touched on the power disparity between Bones and Ngannou.
“I don’t know if he’ll be able to hit Francis hard enough to keep Francis out of himself for five rounds in terms of Francis trying to find the knockout,” Cormier said. “The one thing we all forget about Francis, the guy has a granite chin. He can take a picture. That right hand that Stipe hit him with was hard and he was stunned. But then, five seconds later, he lands a knockout to end the fight.
While it can be fun for fans and experts alike to think about the potential showdown from a technical perspective, the MMA community can be a bit ahead of itself.
In his most recent tweets, Jones called for his release. The no. A pound-for-pound ranked fighter in the world is considerably unhappy with the UFC’s assessment of his worth.
Hopefully this potential superfight can be staged with both sides happy with the financial side of the fight. But until this is understood, it may be a bit too early to assume that Jones will undoubtedly be Ngannou’s opponent for his first title defense.
Jon Jones hits back at Dana White doubting his desire to fight Francis Ngannou
UFC 260 Highlights & Recap: Francis Ngannou Blows Stipe Miocic!
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