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What's the story?
Daniel Cormier was recently interviewed on Ariel Helwani of Ariel Helwani's MMA Show on ESPN. While he talked about various things during the interview, he specifically talked about the sentence that USADA had given to Jon Jones.
He mocked the sentence that then UFC Light Heavyweight Title holder Jon Jones had been given by USADA for his violation, comparing it to the punishments handed out to other fighters.
In case you didn't know...
Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier have had quite the run of fights in their career, but when they have met each other in the Octagon, things have always had a higher stake. In both the fights, it was Cormier who ended up getting knocked out by Jones.
Their last encounter ended badly for Cormier as he was knocked out again, but it was later discovered that Jon Jones would be flagged for violating USADA's policy and taking illegal substances before the fight.
While the result would be turned over, after one year away from the Octagon during the hearing, Jones was only handed out a minor sentence. Instead of the customary 4-year suspension that was expected, he was handed out only a 15-month suspension.
The heart of the matter
During the interview, Daniel Cormier talked about Jon Jones violating the USADA suspensions. Cormier revealed that after he learnt that Jones had failed the drug test, he had expected that USADA would be banning Jones at least 2 years as this was his second violation.
"I thought to myself, if USADA is who USADA is, the greatest testing organisation in the entire world, after failing once and getting a year, the obvious suspension is going to be about two years. I'm not going to be here for two years."
He revealed that after he had made his peace with not facing Jones, the actual suspension period surprised him.
"But USADA changed the game a little bit on this one. I stayed true to who I am, but it seems that in regards to Jones, USADA didn't."
He then went on to talk about other fighters and compared Jones to Machida who was suspended as well.
"One guy told on himself and got two years, ..... Machida! Didn't Machida get two years? ... 18 months? It was his first time, was it his first time?.... He told on himself and got 18 months. Jon got caught twice and got 15 months."
[FOR ANY QUOTES COPIED FROM THE ARTICLE PLEASE H/T SPORTSKEEDA]
He ended by saying that's why he had to make peace with his career till the point where it was.
What's next?
Jon Jones is set to return and fight Alexander Gustafsson for either the Interim or the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 232. It does not appear as if Cormier and Jones will ever face each other again in the Octagon.
Do you agree with Daniel Cormier about Jon Jones's suspension? Why or why not? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
