Lifelong rival Daniel Cormier says Jon Jones has ulterior motive behind publicly snubbing Tom Aspinall: "He's not afraid of that guy"

By Puneet Sharma

Modified Nov 10, 2024 03:27 GMT

Daniel Cormier (middle) speaks about Jon Jones (left) and Tom Aspinall (right) [Image courtesy: Getty] — Daniel Cormier (middle) speaks about Jon Jones (left) and Tom Aspinall (right). [Images courtesy: Getty]

Daniel Cormier has reacted to Jon Jones' recent comments regarding the possibility of fighting Tom Aspinall. In an interview with Kevin Iole, 'Bones' shared that he was not too keen on sharing the octagon with Aspinall and would rather prefer a showdown against Alex Pereira to further extend his legacy.

Jones' statement led to many MMA fans believing that he was dodging a fight against the interim heavyweight champion. Cormier also chimed in on the issue, claiming that Jones was not afraid of Aspinall.

According to the UFC commentator, Jones' actions were an attempt at securing a higher paycheck from the UFC to face the British fighter.

"Look, Jon Jones isn't afraid of Tom Aspinall. I wish people would stop saying that. He is not afraid of that guy. He is not afraid of anyone. Question is, will Jones give him an opportunity? I don't know. I would believe that he's negotiating publicly, trying to get more money, make UFC go, 'I need this fight.' Because you guys want it so bad and they give him a number that he can't refuse."

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Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below:

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Jones is currently scheduled to defend his heavyweight throne against Stipe Miocic. Their contest will headline the UFC 309 card, which is set to take place on Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Interestingly, Cormier has shared the octagon with both the headliners. 'DC' and Jones first fought at UFC 182 and 'Bones' emerged victorious via unanimous decision. Their second bout took place at UFC 214 and initially ended in a knockout victory for the Albuquerque native. But the fight was later turned to a no-contest as Jones failed a drug test.

Meanwhile, Cormier and Miocic have shared the octagon on three occasions with Miocic winning two of those encounters.

About the author

Puneet has a total of 2.5 years of experience and specializes in reporting on MMA and boxing for Sportskeeda. He holds a postgraduate diploma in Journalism & Mass Communication, which aided him in his writing skills.

The iconic interim featherweight title fight between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes at UFC 189 in 2015 ignited Puneet’s passion for the sport. Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira stands out as Puneet’s favorite MMA fighter as he's drawn to 'Do Bronx's' captivating background story and entertaining persona. He is a believer of MMA being the world’s no.1 combat sport as opposed to Boxing.

While writing, Puneet ensures that his articles stay true to their titles and deliver valuable information to readers. He emphasizes the importance of embedding videos or pictures directly from their original sources to enrich the reader's experience.

Puneet’s professional achievements include covering major events such as UFC 264 and several boxing matches featuring renowned fighters like Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury, and Anthony Joshua.

Beyond MMA, Puneet likes to watch movies.

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Edited by Puneet Sharma