UFC light heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier has some advice for his division's king, Jon Jones.
Go full heel. Don't dip your toes in the pool of arrogant behavior.
Dive in, and own the role.
Speaking with MMAJunkie.com's Steven Marrocco, Cormier tossed some career advice Jones' way, saying that the 26-year-old superstar should embrace the negative vibes and become more like boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. where PR moves are concerned.
The former Olympic wrestler said:
If I was Jon Jones, being that people seem to want to dislike him, I would go 100 percent Floyd Mayweather Jr. He wins all the time, and people dislike him, but they always tune into see him. ... They’ll watch to hope that you lose, but at the end of the day, you’ll still be winning, because Floyd Mayweather makes $40 million every time he fights. At the end of the day, that is winning.
Jones' career inside the Octagon has been nearly perfect to this point. He became the UFC light heavyweight champion at the age of 23, and he's successfully defended that distinction seven times, a UFC record.
Outside of the cage, however, Jones' reputation fluctuates between "fake," "cocky," and downright "offensive." (NSFW)
Hey @PhilMrWonderful you're more than welcome to borrow my Teddy
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 1, 2014
The problem?
Jones constantly tries to rehab his image, even at the expense of providing contradictory stories and messages.
Is he the squeaky-clean Christian family man, or is he the arrogant superstar who flaunts his status as one of the baddest dudes on the planet at all times?
To Cormier, Jones should pick the latter and just roll with it.
It worked for Mr. Mayweather, why can't it work for "Bones"?
