Daniel Cormier Fighting for Himself, Family and AKA
Daniel Cormier Fighting for Himself, Family and AKA
UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has locked his focus on Jon Jones heading into UFC 200.
By Jim Edwards
UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier may be the underdog heading into his unification title fight with Jon Jones next weekend, but he's confident he will be the man with his hand raised when it's all said and done.
Cormier's confidence is rooted in his belief that Jones won't be the same man that defeated him back in January 2015 and that instead, he will face the same version of Jon Jones that labored to victory against Ovince Saint Preux back at UFC 197 in April.
"He'll be tough, he'll always be tough," Cormier admitted during the UFC 200 conference call earlier this week. "He's a good fighter. But, you know, nothing's free. Nothing's free. So, the Jon that showed up against Ovince Saint Preux is the guy who's going to be in the Octagon on July 9.
"That's who is he is today. All the partying, all the other stuff, you have to pay for that, and now we're seeing where it's starting to take a toll. It's time for all the outlandish living and burning the candle at two ends, and now we're getting to the middle where it starts to burn out."
Jones responded to this asking Cormier "where do you come up with all of this craziness?" But Cormier was resolute in his opinion that Jones was now paying for his prior misdemeanors and that they would all come to a head next Saturday evening.
"It's the truth, we all know you've been burning the candle at both ends for a long time now," Cormier said. "You've been burning that candle at both ends for a long time," he repeated.
The current UFC light heavyweight champion later referred to the fact that this time around he wasn't allowing himself to get so emotionally invested in the fight and that with his emotions now in check, he would be able to raise his level of performance.
"Things are a lot different and there were a number of reasons why the first fight was very tough for me," Cormier said. "Obviously, he did a great job of winning the fight but there was so much that went into the fight to being with, all the stuff going outside of the Octagon. I let that consume me and let it drive me.
"Look, I just wanted to fight the guy. I'd see him at the hotel and I'd try and fight him. I'd see him at the press conference and I'd try and fight. Every single time I saw him I just wanted to fight him, every time I just laid eyes on him. Now I've seen Jones several times and managed to not try and go at him that kinda way because I know that if I'm going to get the job done on July 9 then I need to have my head in the right place."
Cormier also referred to feeling under pressure having not won a UFC title before their last fight. Of course, this time around that pressure is no longer with him and he said he felt a surge of confidence with that burden now lifted off his shoulders.
"There was a lot of pressure in terms of trying to become the new champion last time we fought but I've now I've done that already, I'm the current 'And Still' champion," Cormier said. "Now it's just a chance to go out there and fight a guy that beat me and I don't care all that other stuff. I feel at piece; I feel at ease.
"I feel so good man I have great confidence in my training and I feel like everything has lined up perfectly for me to go out there and right the only wrong of my career."
The former Olympic wrestler later went on to talk about what exactly it was about Jones he didn't like and why he believed the two didn't see eye-to-eye. Cormier again focused in on the extracurricular activities of his longtime foe but made a point of stressing he no longer felt like he had to be the one to make Jones pay for his previous sins.
"A lot of the things I used to dislike about Jones were honestly nothing to do with whatever he did inside the Octagon," Cormier explained. "Inside the Octagon I've always thought he's as good as they come but all the personal stuff, even the stuff not directly related to me, I've always found myself asking 'how' and 'why'.
"You know what though Jim? I've finally got myself to a point where I'm thinking 'who the hell am I to try and make Jon pay for his crimes against society and the world?' He can be as much of a loose cannon or whatever he wants to be in his life; I don't care.
"I'm going out there to fight for Daniel Cormier, my family and the people of American Kickboxing Academy," he added. "When I do that, I've always won and I'm not making the same mistakes again."
Watch the exclusive "Daniel Cormier: The Champion Episode 1" on FloCombat.
UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier may be the underdog heading into his unification title fight with Jon Jones next weekend, but he's confident he will be the man with his hand raised when it's all said and done.
Cormier's confidence is rooted in his belief that Jones won't be the same man that defeated him back in January 2015 and that instead, he will face the same version of Jon Jones that labored to victory against Ovince Saint Preux back at UFC 197 in April.
"He'll be tough, he'll always be tough," Cormier admitted during the UFC 200 conference call earlier this week. "He's a good fighter. But, you know, nothing's free. Nothing's free. So, the Jon that showed up against Ovince Saint Preux is the guy who's going to be in the Octagon on July 9.
"That's who is he is today. All the partying, all the other stuff, you have to pay for that, and now we're seeing where it's starting to take a toll. It's time for all the outlandish living and burning the candle at two ends, and now we're getting to the middle where it starts to burn out."
Jones responded to this asking Cormier "where do you come up with all of this craziness?" But Cormier was resolute in his opinion that Jones was now paying for his prior misdemeanors and that they would all come to a head next Saturday evening.
"It's the truth, we all know you've been burning the candle at both ends for a long time now," Cormier said. "You've been burning that candle at both ends for a long time," he repeated.
The current UFC light heavyweight champion later referred to the fact that this time around he wasn't allowing himself to get so emotionally invested in the fight and that with his emotions now in check, he would be able to raise his level of performance.
"Things are a lot different and there were a number of reasons why the first fight was very tough for me," Cormier said. "Obviously, he did a great job of winning the fight but there was so much that went into the fight to being with, all the stuff going outside of the Octagon. I let that consume me and let it drive me.
"Look, I just wanted to fight the guy. I'd see him at the hotel and I'd try and fight him. I'd see him at the press conference and I'd try and fight. Every single time I saw him I just wanted to fight him, every time I just laid eyes on him. Now I've seen Jones several times and managed to not try and go at him that kinda way because I know that if I'm going to get the job done on July 9 then I need to have my head in the right place."
Cormier also referred to feeling under pressure having not won a UFC title before their last fight. Of course, this time around that pressure is no longer with him and he said he felt a surge of confidence with that burden now lifted off his shoulders.
"There was a lot of pressure in terms of trying to become the new champion last time we fought but I've now I've done that already, I'm the current 'And Still' champion," Cormier said. "Now it's just a chance to go out there and fight a guy that beat me and I don't care all that other stuff. I feel at piece; I feel at ease.
"I feel so good man I have great confidence in my training and I feel like everything has lined up perfectly for me to go out there and right the only wrong of my career."
The former Olympic wrestler later went on to talk about what exactly it was about Jones he didn't like and why he believed the two didn't see eye-to-eye. Cormier again focused in on the extracurricular activities of his longtime foe but made a point of stressing he no longer felt like he had to be the one to make Jones pay for his previous sins.
"A lot of the things I used to dislike about Jones were honestly nothing to do with whatever he did inside the Octagon," Cormier explained. "Inside the Octagon I've always thought he's as good as they come but all the personal stuff, even the stuff not directly related to me, I've always found myself asking 'how' and 'why'.
"You know what though Jim? I've finally got myself to a point where I'm thinking 'who the hell am I to try and make Jon pay for his crimes against society and the world?' He can be as much of a loose cannon or whatever he wants to be in his life; I don't care.
"I'm going out there to fight for Daniel Cormier, my family and the people of American Kickboxing Academy," he added. "When I do that, I've always won and I'm not making the same mistakes again."
Watch the exclusive "Daniel Cormier: The Champion Episode 1" on FloCombat.