Former UFC rivals Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier likely never will stop bickering at each other.
Cormier was asked to give his MMA Mount Rushmore, where he included Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and mentioned either Chuck Liddell or Randy Couture as a potential fourth.
He noticeably left out Anderson Silva and arch rival Jon Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) because of their past history with testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
“I don’t believe that he (Jones) should be considered the greatest of all time,” Cormier said on “Club Shay Shay.” “Steroids in fighting is much different than anything else in the world.”
Jones defeated Cormier twice during his UFC light heavyweight title reign – with their rematch overturned to a no contest after Jones tested positive for a turinabol metabolite. Jones also tested positive for estrogen blockers clomiphene and letrozole in 2016 after he defeated Ovince Saint Preux. In both instances, an independent arbitrator determined that Jones did not knowingly cheat.
“You just can’t have that tied to your name, especially in fighting, and people call you the greatest of all time,” Cormier said. “He’s the greatest talent the sport has ever seen. In terms of his length, his skills, his mind, he’s the most talented guy we’ve ever had.”
Jones was not going to allow Cormier to question his greatness.
“When DC tells his story, somehow I’m always the co-star. Thanks @ShannonSharpe84for the invite, even if I was only there in spirit. #Airbnb.”
“High school state champ, JUCO national champ, youngest UFC champion, greatest in MMA history. A lifetime of loss, victories and sacrifice and this guy wants to write it all off as steroids. Honestly, it’s insulting. But I can’t help but laugh, knowing it was God given abilities that made him feel so inferior.”
