Jones guarantees Cormier trilogy won’t happen

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Daniel Cormier says if a third Jon Jones fight happens, it’ll be at light heavyweight. But Jones doesn’t think “DC” is willing to drop back down to 205 pounds.

Jon Jones is confident he’ll never step into the cage opposite rival Daniel Cormier again.

The UFC light heavyweight champion said in a series of tweets Monday that he doesn’t believe “DC,” the current heavyweight champion, would be willing to drop back down to 205 pounds for the trilogy bout.

“Despite what he says to the media, I will guarantee you guys there will be no third fight,” Jones wrote. “No way will he lose that weight again, no way will he be willing to reface those nightmares that comes when facing the beast.”

Despite what he says to the media, I will guarantee you guys there will be no third fight. No way will he lose that weight again, no way will he be willing to reface those nightmares that comes when facing the beast.

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) August 12, 2019

So, if not at light heavyweight, the trilogy would have to take place at heavyweight, for Cormier’s title. But according to Jones, that isn’t very likely either.

“I’ve been the light heavyweight champion for almost my entire MMA career, never have I moved up to challenge a heavyweight champion,” Jones wrote. “I’m simply not interested in it right now, never seriously have been.

“I feel like the move (to heavyweight) is inevitable but as of right now, I’m dominating fights and making weight just fine. Daniel and I not reverie, but beef started at the light heavyweight division and that’s where it should end. (Even though I could’ve sworn I ended this once or twice already).”

I’ve been the light heavyweight champion for almost my entire MMA career, never have I moved up to challenge a heavyweight champion. I’m simply not interested in it right now, never seriously have been.

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) August 12, 2019

I feel like the move is inevitable but as of right now, Im dominating fights and making weight just fine. Daniels and I not reverie, but beef started at the light heavyweight division and that’s where it should end.(even though I could’ve sworn I ended this once or twice already)

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) August 12, 2019

Cormier isn’t sure if he’ll fight Jones again either, but weight won’t block the trilogy from happening. Cormier said if it does happen, it’ll be at 205 pounds.

“That’s one of the prime reasons I would do it — because I would want to try to go make right what was wrong initially,” Cormier told Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday. “Maybe if I’m a guy that was gonna fight until I was 42 years old, I could fight him at 205, beat him, then fight him at heavyweight. But it would still be at 205. That’s where he beat me at.”

Cormier said whether or not the Jones trilogy occurs is solely up to him.

“The ball is in my court now,” Cormier said.

“I’ve gotten to a point in my career now where the UFC takes such great care of me on the front side that I don’t have to sell another pay-per-view in my life. I want to, obviously, but I make so much money now on the front side that it doesn’t really matter if I fight him. Before, I was like, ‘I need to fight Jones because I need to make money, I need to fight Jones because I need to legitimize myself.’ I don’t need to do that no more — I’m the heavyweight champion of the world. So I’ll make the determination of whether or not I fight him again. And if I don’t, I don’t. ... I don’t need him. I don’t need anyone. It’ll be my decision.”

Cormier is scheduled to defend his heavyweight title for the second time in a rematch with Stipe Miocic at UFC 241, which takes place Saturday in Anaheim. Because Cormier is already booked to fight this weekend, there are more hurdles to get past than just Cormier and Jones coming to terms before the trilogy fight can happen. The biggest is whether or not Cormier retires after the Miocic fight.

“This fight can be the last fight,” Cormier said, referring to the Miocic rematch. “If I gotta walk away from this thing after this Saturday, I’m OK with it. I’ve accomplished so much. My family is so excited about the prospects of me being around more. The moment that I’m not fighting anymore, that opens up a big space for me to spend with my kid and my wife.”

Cormier initially planned to retire from MMA by his 40th birthday, which was in this past March. But after a potential Brock Lesnar matchup failed to come to fruition and other delays due to injuries, Cormier is still fighting past his original due date.

But don’t count on seeing Cormier still active in the cage years from now. His time will come to an end in the foreseeable future.

“I’m not gonna walk away because I can’t compete anymore. I’m gonna walk away because I feel it’s time and I want to leave my legacy intact,” Cormier said. “I want my legacy and my memories to be left as they are — me getting my hand raised the vast majority of my career. I don’t want to be one of those guys that was this great former champion and leaves on five, four, six, seven losses. I can’t do that to myself, and I would never put my family through that. I don’t want to put my kids through nights where they don’t know if Dad is going to get his hand raised. They’re confident now that their dad is going to win, because they have not seen anything else. But imagine if you start losing all the time, and that becomes their norm? I’m not doing that to my children and my family. I’m not doing that to my wife. She doesn’t need to deal with that.”