Even though UFC 165 is mere days away, with Jon "Bones" Jones facing a formidable contender in Alexander Gustafsson, talk continues to swirl about a possible pairing between Jones and loudmouth ex-Strikeforce fighter Daniel Cormier.
Jones is the favorite to defeat Gustafsson in their upcoming matchup, and Brazilian fighter Glover Teixeira is expected to be the next in line for a shot at Jones' belt. There has been talk of Cormier, who was a former Strikeforce Grand Prix heavyweight winner, moving down to 205 lbs. and immediately getting a fight with "Bones."
The current light heavyweight champion and pound-for-pound MMA king is having none of it, though, no matter how much Cormier talks about him.
"At the end of the day, the guy's just a hater," Jones said of Cormier. "I really have done nothing wrong to the guy to have an issue with him, and every time I turn around he's figuring out a way to have my name in his mouth."
Jones had more to say, hinting he would rather make Cormier jump through hoops for a chance at the strap.
"I just don't respect the guy at all. I think the ultimate way to defeat him is to make him lose all that weight, which is tough work, make him earn a title fight, which is tough work and then at the end of the day walk away with nothing."
Cormier must go through heavyweight Roy Nelson at UFC 166 before facing Jones can become a reality. It will likely be his last fight as a heavyweight. If Cormier can overcome Nelson, there may be some haggling between him and Teixeira, requiring a battle for the No. 1 contender slot.
In the event such a fight occurs, Jones unsurprisingly picked Teixeira to emerge victorious. "I think that'd be a phenomenal fight. I think Glover will win that fight. Cormier is a pretty decent wrestler, but he's not ready for high level fighting in the light heavyweight division."
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