Daniel Cormier defends legacy as UFC 205-pound champion, rejects cryptic placeholder label from nemesis Jon Jones

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier shared one of the most iconic rivalries in mixed martial arts history. While we often see fighters bury the hatchet when they retire, it appears that the two legendary UFC champions will never be on the same page. 'DC' recently defended his legacy amidst criticism from 'Bones'.

Speaking on his self-titled podcast, the UFC Hall of Famer stated:

"When talking about Tom Aspinall, Jones made this statement. He said, 'it was like in my absence, when Daniel Cormier was the champion, it confuses people'. That's not a real indication of what was going on. With me, it was him getting caught doing things he's not supposed to and then getting stripped and taken out of the competition. It's not the same. He was incapable of competing when I was the champion due to illegal substances found inside of his body. That's just the truth."

Cormier continued:

"If he decided today, 'I'm going to go and I'm going to fight'. That would be his decision. When him and I were fighting and he kept getting in trouble, he could not go, 'I'm back in the gym and I'm ready to fight'. It was illegal. So it's time to stop lumping everything together, but this slight of hand is what Jon is very good at."

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments on Jon Jones below:

Cormier was able to capture the light heavyweight title as Jones served a suspension. As he pointed out, however, 'Bones' was ineligible to compete, making the situation different from Tom Aspinall, who captured the interim heavyweight title with the champion sidelined due to injury.

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What exactly did Jon Jones say about Daniel Cormier?

Jon Jones has not returned to the octagon since capturing the heavyweight title via a first-round submission victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. While he was set to defend his title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 last November, he tore the tendon that connects the pectoral muscle to the bone, delaying the bout as he recovers.

Taking it to X, 'Bones' responded to a fan who claimed that the UFC should not have created an interim heavyweight title, comparing the situation to Daniel Cormier's light heavyweight title run. He stated:

"UFC is a brilliant company, did what they had to do to save the event. But I do agree with you, it definitely confused a bunch of UK fans, got them entitled thinking their boy really is the champion. It reminds me of when DC was the “champion” during my absence."

Check out Jon Jones' response to the fan below:

Jones and Cormier famously clashed at UFC 182 and UFC 214. The former won the first bout via unanimous decision to retain the light heavyweight title while recapturing the belt via third-round knockout in the second bout. The win was later overturned to a no-contest.