A little salt in the wound never hurt anybody—unless you’re a world-class MMA fighter getting teased by an adorable six-year-old.
Several months ago, UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones’ daughter went viral after guaranteeing her daddy would “beat up” undefeated contender Daniel Cormier. The video was released as a harmless jab at Cormier before the infamous media brawl, where the feud reached its boiling point.
The young Nostradamus made good on her guarantee Saturday night when Jones defeated the former Olympian at UFC 182 to retain his light heavyweight title. After accurately predicting one of the biggest grudge matches in UFC history, Jones’ daughter had some parting words for Cormier on Instagram.
“Well, Daniel, I tried to warn you,” she said.
Losses are never easy in any sport, but there tends to be a deeper vulnerability or feeling of helplessness when an athlete incurs defeat in combat sports, especially in the presence of great personal animosity.
Two men go to battle, and only one leaves as the victor. The mantra has remained the same throughout human evolution, even before the gladiator time period.
After months of trash talk, both Jones and Cormier were very much aware that the loser would have to eat an exceptional portion of crow. Unfortunately for Cormier, he was the one who came out with the short end of the stick.
Perhaps the biggest question is whether Jones is going too far for his continued post-fight jabs at Cormier. He already won the fight and solidified himself as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Is it right to continue to kick a man when he’s down?
Maybe that’s not even the correct way of looking at it. Perhaps Jones’ coldness and continued disdain for Cormier proved that what we witnessed at UFC 182 wasn’t fake or manufactured conflict to capitalize on pay-per-view buys.
It was all real.
Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Fanrag Sports.
