Daniel Cormier doesn’t think Jon Jones is bluffing when he says he’ll vacate the UFC light heavyweight championship.
Jones is having some issues with the UFC brass over pay. UFC president Dana White claims that Jones demanded a bump up in pay in the $30 million range for a move up to the heavyweight division. “Bones” fired back at the UFC boss, calling him a liar and daring him to show the text messages that he claims exist.
Cormier Feels Jones Is Being Serious About Vacating UFC Gold
Cormier spoke to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani and expressed his belief that Jones isn’t playing around when he says he’s willing to relinquish his UFC light heavyweight title (h/t MMAFighting).
“I believe that he is more serious about walking away because in all those times that he was suspended and hurt and all that other stuff – gone – he kinda learned to live without that belt,” Cormier said on ESPN on Monday. “For a long time he held the belt that when he lost the belt the first time, he probably thought his world was ending. But then he was gone for two years and life probably didn’t seem all that different. So he’s probably looking at life right now and understanding that, ‘if I walk away from this belt, is my life really gonna change all that much?’ I think that gives him comfort, and being able to say the things that he’s saying. So I think to a degree he does believe, I do believe, that he’s serious.”
This isn’t the first time Jones and White have been at odds. Back in 2012, Jones declined to fight Chael Sonnen on short notice at UFC 151. Jones was initially set to meet Dan Henderson, who ended up pulling out late due to an injury. White publicly blasted Jones for not taking the fight. “Bones” wouldn’t speak to the UFC boss for a time after that situation.
Jones was trying to get a fight with Francis Ngannou this year. The two had fun back-and-forth exchanges on Twitter and fight fans were intrigued. Ngannou also agreed that a fight of that magnitude should bring in higher pay for both men.
