Jon Jones, the UFC’s reigning heavyweight champion, recently received unexpected praise from his former rival, Daniel Cormier. The two fighters share one of the most bitter rivalries in UFC history. With their bad blood spanning over a decade. Jones, however, came out on top in their first fight at UFC 182 in 2015. Their UFC 214 bout saw Jones winning again before a positive drug test overturned the result.
Jones has been through many trials and tribulations. In a recent appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cormier almost walked out of it after Kamaru Usman compared Jon Jones to Michael Jordan. Nevertheless, DC also had unexpected praise for his nemesis. Cormier’s recent comments took a surprisingly respectful tone, acknowledging Jones’ achievements.
He’s so much smarter than people give him credit for. And he’s tough—way tougher than people give him credit for.
Daniel Cormier via Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry on YouTube
Former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier will never be friends with Jon Jones. However, Jones acknowledges the unexpected praise from his all-time nemesis. The UFC heavyweight champion reacted to ‘DC’s’ unexpected praise with humility on his Instagram story.
Despite the praise, DC won’t hesitate to criticize Jones on other platforms. While Jones still holds the upper hand in their competitive rivalry, his reaction showed a softer side of the champion. Cormier retired in 2020, and it won’t be long before ‘Bones’ leaves the sport as well.
Jon Jones retirement fight next?
Jon Jones will defend his heavyweight title at UFC 309 against Stipe Miocic. The annual Madison Square Garden pay-per-view event marks one year since his pectoral tear sidelined him. The heavyweight champion has only fought once since February 2020. He submitted Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 in March 2023 to claim the vacant title.
Jon Jones set to retire after next fight? (via Imago)Speculation is swirling around Jones’ potential retirement from MMA after his next fight. The reigning UFC heavyweight champion has hinted at the possibility. The bout against Miocic marks his first title defense in a second weight class. Upon a successful title defense, he will join a few legends to have defended their titles in two weight classes.
Honestly, it’s hard to say right now, I’m gonna base a lot of that on my next performance. The options are looking crazy right now. https://t.co/3skkYSY7Aj
— BONY (@JonnyBones) July 1, 2024
UFC CEO Dana White has often promoted Jon Jones as the undisputed pound-for-pound No. 1. He also believes Jones will not retire after UFC 309. However, that is not what Jones has talked about. He has mentioned retirement numerous times but he also remains focused on UFC 309. As such, what happens after UFC 309 remains to be seen.
