Daniel Cormier claims Jon Jones ‘lost his mind’ after outbursts at Khabib in UFC GOAT row

Daniel Cormier recently appeared on MMA Junkie Radio where he criticised his long-time rival, Jon Jones. The former UFC double champion claimed that Jones has “lost his mind” after Bones slammed Khabib Nurmagomedov and others for calling the Russian UFC's GOAT. The lightweight king defeated Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, taking his undefeated record to 29-0. After the bout, Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement and was soon named the No 1 UFC pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Since then, Jon Jones has criticised UFC and Khabib Nurmagomedov on a number of occasions. “This is number one bullsh*t,” Jon Jones wrote on Twitter after UFC released the new pound-for-pound rankings. Jon Jones later claimed that Khabib Nurmagomedov has been in only four title fights, while he himself has been in a record 15. He also used this as an excuse to claim Khabib is not even close to him when it comes to total title defences.

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UFC GOAT debate: Daniel Cormier asks Jon Jones to “let go of his ego”

When asked to respond to Jon Jones’ comments, Daniel Cormier asked the former UFC light heavyweight champion to “let go of his ego” now that Nurmagomedov has officially dethroned him in the P4P list. Daniel Cormier claimed that Khabib delivered a “great performance” despite losing his influential father a few months ago. “I just think sometimes you gotta let go of your ego, read the room, pick your time, and do those things in those moments that are necessary,” Daniel Cormier added.

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The rivalry between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones

Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones have faced each other twice in the UFC ring. Their first bout came in 2015 at UFC 182 where Jon Jones retained his light heavyweight title via unanimous decision (49–46, 49–46, 49–46). The two then fought at UFC 214, where Jones once again came out victorious. However, the result of the bout was overturned to a no-contest after Bones tested positive for Turinabol - an anabolic steroid.

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What’s next for Jon Jones?

While Daniel Cormier retired from the sport in August 2020, Jon Jones moved to the heavyweight division after vacating his LHW title. Though Bones is yet to make his UFC heavyweight debut, reports claim that he could face the winner of Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou. Stipe Miocic could possibly defend his heavyweight crown in March against Francis Ngannou.

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Image Source: AP