UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier believes that Jon Jones' heavy weightlifting is "messing with the recipe" since it could slow down what was previously "perfect."
Recently reinstated by the UFC following his arrest in April—after which he was also stripped of his light heavyweight title—Jones has been regularly posting videos of his intense workouts as he aims to return to the Octagon in 2016.
He is set to face Cormier early next year and attempt to win back his title—DC won the title he vacated by beating Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 in May—but the 36-year-old believes Jones is going about his training in the wrong way, per The MMA Hour's Ariel Helwani (via Marc Raimondi on MMA Fighting):
Maybe he feels that by getting stronger, it's going to make him a better fighter. The reality is, when I saw him getting so bulky, as a competitor, I thought, 'Wow, this isn't bad for me.' This isn't bad for me as a competitor, because the Jon Jones that was kind of skinny and maybe wasn't the bulkiest guy, it all worked, Helwani. It all worked. His body, the way his body was, it worked. It allowed him for range; it allowed him for optimal speed. It allowed him for quickness and agility.
Looking at all the extra bulk, to me I was like, 'Well, maybe this will slow him down. Maybe he won't be the fastest guy. Maybe this guy is messing with what was given to him.' In reality, what has been given to him is perfect.
Here is a small taster of some of the lifting Jones, 28, has been doing:
Cormier arguably has a point.
Jones was all but unbeatable as a leaner, faster fighter, claiming the light heavyweight title at just 23 and beating Cormier in his eighth successful defence by unanimous decision at UFC 182 back in January.
But now Cormier is the champion, and he successfully defended his title with a split-decision win over Alexander Gustafsson in October.
Jones poses a huge threat to Cormier's title, and the pair have a chequered history, having brawled at a press event back in August 2014.
Jones will be desperate to win his title back, and Cormier is aware that the New York-born fighter is motivated by more than just their past altercations, per Helwani (via Raimondi):
"I would not give myself that much credit," he said. "This guy doesn't wake up in the morning going, 'Wow, I need to lift 500 pounds because of Daniel.' He's doing that for himself."
Jones will have spent more than a year out of the Octagon when he finally makes his return against Cormier, but his freshest memory will be of beating the current champion fairly convincingly.
That could be a key psychological factor for both competitors.
However, it will be a different, bulkier Jones who turns out to fight, and if Cormier is right in his assertions, there may be a different outcome when they fight next time around.
