Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier Feud On Twitter Intensifies; Rematch For Light Heavyweight Belt Confirmed?
Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier's nemesis, has been provoking the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion through Twitter, according to MMA Junkie. Jones looking for a reaction from the champ, and eventually have a shot at his old title that he vacated last April.
Jones was forced to vacate the title when he was involved in a hit-and-run incident. He fled the scene after hitting a pregnant woman. He was eventually charged and pleaded guilty, and was given 18 months probation with no felony conviction, according to Sherdog.
Cormier won the vacant light heavyweight belt during the main event of UFC 187, after submitting Anthony Johnson. He continued to defend the crown against Alexander Gustafsson via a hard-fought split-decision win at UFC 192, according to MMA Fighting.
Now, Jones wants his UFC title back, declaring his intention to fight Cormier anywhere, including the new champ's turf, the Oklahoma State University wrestling room, according to MMA Junkie. Cormier responded that he can fly to where Jones was, in New Mexico, and they can fight every day until the actual UFC sanctioned fight comes.
The back and forth ended with Jones taunting Cormier about not keeping his word, and Cormier bringing up Jones' probation. The trash talking from both parties won't have any real effect on their respective fight scheduling, but it surely piqued everyone's interest.
Even before pleading guilty to the hit-and-run charges, the possibility of a Jon Jones - Daniel Cormier title fight was already getting prepared. Dana White, the UFC president, recognized how important it was for Jones to fight for the title upon his return.
White mentioned that Jones is the most dominant champion, and that he deserves an immediate title shot because that was where he belonged, in an interview with Fox Sports. "Whenever he gets his stuff together, he'd come right back and fight for the title," according to White.