Daniel Cormier says Jon Jones ‘not afraid’ of Tom Aspinall

Daniel Cormier can’t get over the idea of ​​Jon Jones impersonating Tom Aspinall.

Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) has been making waves in the MMA community ahead of his scheduled heavyweight championship defense against Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) at UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) by claiming he has no interest in a title unification bout with interim champion Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) should his hand be raised.

According to Jones, Aspinall’s efforts inside the octagon have “done nothing” to create appeal in that matchup, and if he doesn’t pull out at UFC 309, the only exciting fight for him at this point is with light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.

These comments have led to people claiming that Jones is avoiding a showdown with Aspinall. Despite his history with “Bones,” however, UFC Hall of Famer and analyst Cormier refuses to believe that notion, even if he doesn’t like the logic his rival and former two-time opponent Jones brings to the table.

“‘Shogun’ (Rua) had to fight Jon Jones back then, ‘Rampage’ (Jackson) had to fight Jon Jones back then. Those guys were big names fighting him as the young guy who was the champion and he created a name out of all those legends, so when I got to him, he was a legend,” Cormier said in his YouTube channel. “He was already a legend in 2016, 2015. He was already a legend for five years and that was only because he had beaten all the big guys before. It really is the adventure of sports, the adventure of entertainment. Before Michael Jordan could be Michael Jordan, he had to go through the Detroit Pistons who won in the 80s. He had to beat the Boston Celtics to get to the Finals, which was going back and forth with the Lakers. The old shift must be passed through for the new shift to happen. So for Jon to say he’s a nobody – but is he really?

“He’s a world champion. He’s a world champion, honestly. That’s who he is. He’s the No. 2 heavyweight in the world. He’s the interim champion. He’s not a guy who just works his way through the division. That’s a guy who has broken down I think my biggest problem with that is the final statement.But you’re Jon Jones would still expect him beat Tom Aspinall, or Am I wrong? Are more people expecting Tom Aspinall to beat Jones? Maybe I’m off base. Maybe Tom Aspinall is going to beat Jon Jones?”

Cormier can’t buy into the concept Jones fears of Aspinall, or any man, given his body in the sport over nearly 15 years at the top of the game. He’s far more sold on the idea of ​​risk management, though, and believes Jones is ultimately playing a game to lure more money out of the UFC.

“Look, Jon Jones is not afraid of Tom Aspinall,” Cormier said. “I wish people would stop saying that. He’s not afraid of that guy. He’s not afraid of anybody. He’s not afraid to fight this guy. He’s not. I think ​He’s trying to be more strategic. He’s trying to make sure his legacy lives on. I know we have short memories, but could you ever forget what he did? not that him fighting Tom is a bad thing Aspinall with the potential he would lose. But at the end of the day the old guard has to go through. Unless you play the sport that way , as everyone else does it. Everyone else does it that way. Maybe Jones will be different.

“I want to believe that he negotiates publicly. Trying to get more money and get the UFC to go, “I need this fight because (the fans) want it so bad.” Then they give him a number he can’t refuse.”

Cormier said he understands why Jones would be open to fighting Pereira given the stylistic advantages he has over the 205-pound champion. But given Aspinall’s existence, he just doesn’t like the whole optics of what’s going on.

“Yes, Jon Jones would prefer that matchup (with Alex Pereira) because it’s a lot less risky than fighting Tom Aspinall,” Cormier said. “Would a Pereira vs. Jones pay-per-view sell more than Tom Aspinall? Absolutely. So financially he has a point. It’s the biggest money fight for him with less risk. People now know Pereira. But at the end of the day you’ve got the (interim) heavyweight champion nibbling in the bud and weighing in on New York.”

For more on the card, visit the MMA Junkies event hub for UFC 309.