There’s a lot of momentum behind Daniel Cormier after his win over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192 last weekend, and the UFC light heavyweight champion seems intent on making the most of it, calling out former champion Jon Jones.
Jones looks set to return to UFC soon after being spared a jail sentence following a hit-and-run incident in April this year, and Cormier insisted he’d love to square off against either him or Ryan Bader in the months to come, per UFC Tonight (h/t Damon Martin of FOX Sports):
(Bader) has by far earned a title shot, but with that being said, if Jones is ready to go, I'm ready to go. This is the fight I want to be involved in, this is the fight the fans want to see and this is the biggest fight the UFC could put together.
Jon and I did big business in January and I believe we'd do even bigger business whenever we do fight again.
There’s no denying a bout between Cormier and Jones is what MMA fans would like to see. The pair went toe-to-toe earlier in January 2015 over five frantic rounds, with Jones eventually retaining what was then his light heavyweight crown on a unanimous decision.
Jones was stripped of the belt in April in connection with the aforementioned incident. Cormier then went on to beat Anthony Johnson to win the vacant title, before defending it most recently against Gustafsson in a split decision.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden thinks even though Cormier has been impressive in recent outings, he needs to beat Jones if he is to be considered as the true champion:
Daniel Cormier can be admirable. He can exude excellence from his pores. But he isn't UFC champ until he beats Jon Jones.
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) October 6, 2015
Bader will feel as though he deserves a shot at the title himself. The 32-year-old has been on something of a roll as of late, winning his last five professional bouts, culminating in a unanimous decision victory of Rashad Evans on the undercard of UFC 192.
It’s clear, given the champion's quotes, he’s on Cormier’s radar, too.
As Chamatkar Sandhu of MMA Junkie suggested during his win over Evans, there’s a burgeoning intelligence and maturity about the manner in which Bader is going about his business at the moment:
Bader executed his game plan well and will no doubt get the nod here. Smart fight from him. As for Evans? Seemed gun shy.
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) October 4, 2015
A shot at the title may be a little too early for Bader yet, though. A fight with someone like Johnson would certainly cement his status as a genuine challenger, and if he was impressive in that, the man from Nevada would be well placed to fight the winner of a potential Cormier-Jones rematch.
Jones, you suspect, will be keen on getting back into the groove and winning back the belt he had to relinquish. Cormier will have an inkling that he still has something to prove as well, despite his recent successes. So on the face of it, there seems to be little preventing this tussle from happening.
UFC commentator Jon Anik reckons that Cormier is in much better shape now and would subsequently fare much better up against Jones than he did in January:
When DC fought Jon Jones, tank was on empty after 15 minutes. Much different challenge, obviously. But Cormier is far more conditioned now.
— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) October 4, 2015
But Cormier was outclassed in more aspects than fitness when the two previously met. Jones was able to use his rounded skill set to take down the current champion, despite Cormier’s extensive wrestling background. Those minor instances could be enough to plant some seeds of doubt in the champion's mind should a rematch be set.
Cormier has made positive refinements in wins over Johnson and Gustafsson, showing a fortitude to cling on to what is undoubtedly a cherished UFC title. Still, getting the better of a class fighter such as Jones will be a major test of his champion credentials should the fight be made.
