For the past few months, UFC head honcho Dana White has been a prime target of critics for various reasons, one of the main being his persistent narrative that UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. This stance contradicts the official ‘P4P’ rankings, where Dagestani sensation Islam Makhachev holds the #1 spot. The controversy ignited once again, but this time, not from Dana White, but the Nigerian Nightmare, Kamaru Usman, on his podcast. In front of ‘Bones’s’ longtime rival, Daniel Cormier, Usman boldly compared basketball legend Michael Jordan to Jon Jones, claiming,
“Jon is, in a sense, the Michael Jordan that we’ve seen in MMA.”
‘DC’, unable to contain himself, quickly shut down Usman’s claim with a sharp rebuttal that even Usman couldn’t contest. Even though Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones have had their share of bad blood in the past, it hasn’t stopped them from appreciating and acknowledging each other’s talents. But how would Cormier react if someone compared ‘Bones’ to a God-level athlete like Michael Jordan? That scenario unfolded on the latest episode of “Pound-for-Pound with Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman.’ ‘DC’ shut down Usman’s claim after Usman tried to gaslight the debate by saying that while Jones may not be on Jordan’s level, he’s getting close.
At this point, Cormier brought up Jones’s past controversies and said,
“I’m looking for a sports comparison—it’s a guy who has done so much, but because of all the other stuff, right?” He added, “If Michael Jordan was doing illegal stuff, we don’t know about it. I can’t judge him. George St-Pierre, I can’t judge him. But I know about the other stuff with Jon, so it’s hard for me to say this guy’s just sitting up there.” Cormier ended the debate by driving the final nail in the discussion, telling Kamaru Usman, “There will be a person that comes along that people will say replaces Jon Jones as the greatest of all time. He has not left such a legacy that it feels like it’s never going to be topped.”
Daniel Cormier is right in debunking the claims of the Nigerian Nightmare. While Jon Jones is a dominant force in the UFC, his life has been full of controversies, both inside and outside the octagon. In contrast, Michael Jordan’s legacy remains untarnished, as he is consistently regarded as a gracious competitor. However, this is not the first time Daniel Cormier has addressed Jon Jones. A few days ago, ‘DC’ reminded ‘Bones’ of a brutal task, emphasizing that if it could not be accomplished, it could significantly endanger his legacy in the sport.
What does Cormier want to remind Jon Jones?
Jon Jones is not only known for his controversies but also his troubling history with injuries and health issues, which puts him in a similar category as Khamzat Chimaev. A notable incident occurred back in 2023, when ‘Bones was training under the guidance of Henry Cejudo for his first title defense against former champion Stipe Miocic, scheduled at Madison Square Garden in November. However, during training, he tore his pectoral tendon, leading to the fight being scrapped. In its place, Tom Aspinall faced Sergei Pavlovich for the interim title, with Aspinall successfully claiming the belt.
Since then, Aspinall has been vocal about his desire for a title unification, but his requests have gone unheard by both Jon Jones and Dana White. Recently, Daniel Cormier once again reminded Jones about the unfinished business with Aspinall on his YouTube channel, stating,
“This is it for me. It sucks because I do believe there is some work left to be done with Aspinall. I don’t think anyone else right now warrants him sticking around. No, I really don’t, because we saw what he did to Ciryl Gane.”
What are your thoughts on Daniel Cormier’s remarks? Do you also believe that Jon Jones can never reach the level of basketball legend Michael Jordan, or do you think he is near that position? Drop your opinion below.
