Long-time light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will face his greatest challenge in the undefeated Daniel Cormier at UFC 182.
Jones, arguably the greatest light heavyweight champion of all time, looks to not only extend his title defense streak to eight, he is also set on settling the “bad blood” that has come about between he and the division’s No. 1 contender.
Both men are driven and accomplished in their own right. However, although a Cormier victory would send shock waves throughout the MMA world (especially a dominant one), given Jones’ polarizing personality, age and dominance among his peers, his triumph at UFC 182 would continue to produce great dividends for the UFC in the long run.
Image Issues Equal Success
Despite his dominance in the Octagon, Jones is one of the most disliked champions in the UFC today. Mainly, the champion’s opponents have accused him of being “fake.” Even recently, Cormier voiced his dissatisfaction with Jones’ disingenuous nature. Appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Cormier stated:
So fake. He’s a fake individual. A fake person and I am gonna beat him up…
He is such a fake human being.
However, Jones has seemed to embrace comments that paint him in such a disparaging manner. According to Damon Martin of Fox Sports.com, the champion stated:
I just learned to let go. When I read my comments on Twitter and Instagram, I realize I really do inspire people and touch people and people really do appreciate who I am as a martial artist. Then when I read some of the people who leave me negative messages, it's always so dumb. It's like 'dude, you're fake'. I've been hearing that I'm fake for so many years. It's like who cares If I'm fake? I win fights. That's what I'm here to do. I'm not here to win you over with my personality. I'm here to fight. That's ultimately my job.
Whose Victory is More Beneficial to the UFC?
At the end of the day, people either love Jones, or they love to hate him. Regardless, he sports almost one million Twitter followers (versus Cormier’s 159,000), which give light to his massive popularity, while his comments and actions serve as a constant hotbed of conversation in the MMA world.
Age, Dominance and the Foreseeable Future
Jones became the youngest champion in UFC history at 23 years old, defeating a veteran and former two-time world champion in Mauricio Rua. During his reign, Jones has gone on to claim victories over four more former world champions. With the exception of his epic battle with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165, he has virtually beaten all of his other opponents with ease.
Furthermore, Jones’ age, 27, accompanied by his complete dominance over the light heavyweight division, creates excitement regarding his future. Jones has already defended the 205-pound title more than any other champion in UFC history.
At the same time, he has also expressed a great interest in staking his claim as a dominant heavyweight. Given his success at light heavyweight, there is no reason to believe that Jones would not duplicate that in a heavier weight class.
In fact, Jones believes that he is just “two wins away from a move to the heavyweight division.” According to Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Jones stated:
[Cain Velasquez] (the UFC heavyweight champion) would be a hell of a fight, man. It would be a fight of my life. That's what it's about, though. I've been in one of those fights where I'm bleeding and I'm exhausted and it's not fun to be a part of. The Gustafsson fight -- [that is] not fun. I'd be willing to do that for the right champion, though, and the fans.
Cormier, on the other hand, is 35 years old. In his ascent to the No. 1 spot, DC has fought no one of great value. Cormier's most significant opponent to date has been Dan Henderson, whom he fought at UFC 173. The stature gained from this victory, however, remains questionable. Many believe that Henderson, a former multi-time world champion, should retire. Hendo is 44 years old and is 1-4 in his last four fights.
In the UFC’s Bad Blood promo, Jones mocked Cormier’s win over Henderson. He exclaimed:
Daniel Cormier's been asking for this fight for a long time. He beat Dan Henderson, who's like a 60-year-old, and started talking trash to me on the mic right away. I'm going to give him what he's wanted, and that's an opportunity to get his butt whooped by me.
Even if Cormier ekes out a win against his seemingly toughest opponent at UFC 182, longevity in the MMA game is not on his side as he enters into his late 30s.
In the end, the UFC can continue to cash in on Jones' ability to make headlines, his youth and dominance for years to come.
Jones vs. Cormier: Bad Blood Promo
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