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Jon Jones: Daniel Cormier Is ‘A F***ing Douchebag’

By Aric Mitchell
Published on: 06:12 PST, Jul 1, 2016

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier don’t like one another. This fact is widely known and indisputable, going way back to a press conference brawl they had ahead of their first fight.

There has been some back and forth regarding who started it, and Jones has had enough substance abuse issues and legal troubles that it’s easy to side with the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion rather than the guy who had to vacate it because of a hit-and-run accident.

But Jon, who claims to be completely sober now leading up to July 9’s grudge match at UFC 200, is spinning a more sympathetic tale.

On a recent episode of the UFC Unfiltered podcast, Jon Jones spoke with hosts Jim Norton and Matt Serra about where he’s at in his career and why there is so much bad blood between him and Daniel Cormier.

According to “Bones,” it all started with a good-natured joke that he tried out on Cormier long before their first fight. Knowing that Cormier was a wrestling coach, he decided to “rib the guy” by telling him that he was sure that he could take him down anytime.

Jon said he was clearly joking with the guy and acknowledged that in an NCAA-style matchup, Cormier would probably win. Not seeing the funny in what Jon Jones was trying to do, Cormier “lost it” on him, prompting Jon Jones to offer this assessment.

“You f***ing douchebag, you know I was joking with you.”

It all went downhill from there.

In their first bout, Jon Jones emerged as the clear winner en route to a five-round unanimous decision. Cormier was unbeaten at the time, and for all practical purposes, Jones was, too.

(His only record blemish stems from a disqualification in which the guy who beat him was left unconscious on the mat from an illegal elbow.)

Cormier, in his own UFC Unfiltered podcast interview earlier this week, acknowledged that he would have a difficult time living with himself if he lost to Jon Jones twice, claiming that it would “haunt me for the rest of my career.”

Cormier also criticized Jones for wanting to remove referee “Big John” McCarthy from their rematch for reasons that Jones will not reveal publicly.

In spite of that, the champ insists that he has no ill will towards Jon Jones. During Thursday’s appearance, Norton and Serra asked him if he really thought that last part was true.

“He’s lying,” Jones said. “He’s such a hater, dude. It’s in his blood. He can’t kick it. I beat him and at the end of the day, that’s in his head.”

In a previous interview with Fox Sports 1, Jon responded to constant criticisms from Daniel Cormier that he was a “bum,” laughing it off by listing his accomplishments including taking Cormier’s unbeaten record.

He then speculated that on the night of their rematch, he may have some fun with the name calling.

“I’ve been thinking,” Jones said, “I remember one of the guys refused to call Ali, Muhammad Ali; they were calling him Cassius Clay. And I remember Ali beat the s*** out of the guy and was like, ‘What’s my name? Say my name!’ So I may just have DC call me ‘daddy’ on the night of the fight.”

With the first fight ending in a convincing victory for Jones, he may get to do just that.

But what do you think, readers?

Has Jon Jones’ recent inactivity in the MMA world given Daniel Cormier a distinct advantage for UFC 200, or do you think that this will play out in a similar fashion to their first outing?

Sound off in the comments section below!

[Image via UFC]

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