Daniel Cormier doesn’t think his former enemy Jon Jones is afraid of Tom Aspinall or anyone else.
Jones will defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. Meanwhile, interim champion Aspinall will be his backup for this match.
With both Jones and Miocic hinting at retiring after UFC 309, Aspinall may never get a title unification fight. He has already dismissed title unification contender Aspinall in favor of a fight with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in case Jones chooses to continue. . According to Jones, “Ratel” has yet to earn the money to fight a legend like him. Cormier disagrees with Jones, who says the interim champion has yet to earn his money for a title fight.
“John says he’s a nobody, but is that really true? He’s a world champion,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Honestly, that’s who he is. He’s the No. 2 heavyweight in the world. He’s the interim champion. He’s not just a guy who’s working his way up in the division. This guy has broken the division. It’s a man.”
However, Cormier denied the theory that Jones is afraid to fight Aspinall. “DC,” who shared one of the greatest rivalries in UFC history with Jones, believes “Bones” is not afraid of anyone. Cormier understands the risk Jones takes in fighting Aspinall, but believes his former opponent’s legacy will not be affected by the outcome.
UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic. Saturday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN+. Order now!
But Cormier understands why Jones would prefer an easier fight with Pereira, where he could potentially get a higher payout. Although Pereira is one of the biggest stars in the sport today, Cormier points out that he has yet to prove himself against an elite grappler like Jones.
“Jon Jones is not afraid of Tom Aspinall,” Cormier said. “I wish people would stop saying things like that. He’s not afraid of the man. He’s not afraid of anyone. He’s not afraid to fight this man. Not really. I think he’s trying to be more strategic about his legacy. I think they’re trying to make sure that it survives. I don’t know how it will fade. I mean, our memories are short, but can we forget what he did? We could lose. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to fight Tom Aspinall.”
Yes, economically [the Pereira fight] Makes sense. it will be so
[also] There are obvious holes in the matchup, so the risk is much lower. I don’t know if Alex Pereira can defend a takedown against the strongest man. he is wrestling with glover [Texeira]. I’m sure Glover is teaching him how to defend takedowns. I think Coach Glover, who is a great wrestler himself, is preparing him well, but I don’t know how he will do in live action against true elite level wrestlers. Because Jan Blachowicz is not like that and he was able to effectively defeat him.
