Daniel Cormier knows exactly what it is like to compete against Jon Jones and the degree of challenge it poses to those trying to overcome this mountain no one has been able to. This weekend, Thiago Santos will be the next to take on this challenge inside Las Vegas Nevada’s T-Mobile Arena at UFC 239. In a recent interview, Daniel Cormier offered some advice for Thiago Santos to take with him into Saturday’s main event:
“I think Santos needs to go in there and fight his fight,” Cormier said in an interview with MMA Junkie Radio. “Don’t think about what he has to do different than everybody else, what he needs to do to be better. Just fight your fight. Don’t worry about all that other stuff. All that other stuff is just white noise. Worry about Thiago Santos and give yourself a chance. It’s a tall order for him. It’s gonna be a tough fight for him.
Jon Jones defeated Daniel Cormier via unanimous decision in 2015 and was declared the victor of their rematch two years later at UFC 214 prior to the win being overturned to a no contest. One factor that Cormier believes played a role in these outcomes was Jon Jones’s reach advantage, which is approximately 10 inches longer than Cormier’s. Jon Jones has had a reach advantage in each of his fights, and Cormier advises Santos to be prepared to not buckle and continue to “fight his fight” when he realizes the challenge before him:
“I saw them standing face to face the other day, and I thought Santos was a little bigger,” Cormier said. “And he’s not as tall as I thought he was. And I think he’ll realize early how difficult it is to deal with Jones’s length.”
UFC 239 takes place this Saturday, July 6, 2019 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Nevada. Jon Jones’s defense against Thiago Santos will headline the event, with Amanda Nunes also defending her bantamweight championship against Holly Holm.
What advice would you give Thiago Santos on how to defeat Jon Jones?
