Daniel Cormier gushes over Jon Jones’ UFC championship longevity

As soon as upon a time, getting Daniel Cormier to say constructive issues about Jon Jones would have been a protracted shot. Now that their heated rivalry has lengthy been put to mattress, Cormier can’t assist however admit he’s impressed with Jones’ longevity as a UFC champion.

Cormier and Jones’ previous has been well-documented. They have been at every others throats after they have been championship opponents at UFC 182 and UFC 214. Cormier has since hung up the gloves and entered the UFC Corridor of Fame, however Jones continues to be going at it, as a champion in a second division.

Talking along with his former “DC & RC” co-host Ryan Clark, Cormier gushed over Jones’ longevity on the high of the mountain.

“For me, DC, being a UFC fan who began with Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, then moved into the period with you and Jon, we had these champions that you would rely on,” Clark stated on a reunion episode of “DC & RC.” “It was the Kamaru Usman, it was the Alexander Volkanovski, it was the Israel Adesanya and we’ve transitioned from these guys. Now we’re with Ilia Topuria and Alex Pereira is among the best fighters that’s ever lived. It’s actually cool although that via all that, Jon Jones continues to be round and we’re nonetheless ready for the subsequent huge Jon.”

“How? How? How’s that doable?!” Cormier interjected.

“This dude actually – like, hey man, I don’t care how you’re feeling about him. I may not have messed with the dude on that stage, however how?! It’s been – I feel he was a champion in 2011 for the primary time. That’s a loopy thought! That via all that, all these dudes, I imply three generations of gamers.

“… It’ll be like Tom Brady enjoying via 30 years of soccer. Three completely different generations of gamers at quarterback, as a result of it’s not like being a lineman. It’s not being an undercard man. It’s a fundamental occasion man that has been fundamental eventing for 13 years? That basically is an insane thought.”

Jones first claimed UFC gold by defeating Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the sunshine heavyweight title at UFC 128 on March 19, 2011. As we enter 2025, Jones continues to be a UFC champion, however within the heavyweight division.

Clark requested Cormier to clarify how arduous it’s to perform a championship longevity in MMA.

“It’s virtually unattainable, particularly to do it for a very long time,” Cormier stated. “That’s why whenever you watch a man like Usman or Volkanovski, the place they simply type of go, they usually’re rolling, proper? It looks as if they’re unbeatable.

“… The entire time that you simply’re up and also you’re the person, and also you’re laying in that huge, lovely home, there’s a younger man that doesn’t have what you may have. As you’re doing loads, as you’re nonetheless making an attempt to be the perfect, he’s doing like a bit of bit extra as a result of he desires for what you may have. It’s like having a man simply strolling you down continuously. So, it’s very tough. It’s important to proceed to get higher.”