Daniel Cormier addressed Jon Jones most recent suspension, and told USADA not to bother to show up at his house anymore, on the most recent edition of UFC Tonight.
One man more than any other has suffered thanks to Jon Jones’ repeated drug test failures, and that, of course, would be Daniel Cormier. From a positive test for cocaine before their first fight, to their UFC 200 bout being scrapped last minute when Jones tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, Cormier has been through the ringer. And then there was Jones’ second major failure for PEDs last year. Another failed test, another run-in with USADA. Though the infraction happened prior to UFC 214, when the pair met for a second time, test results did not come in until after the fact.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Jones had been handed a fifteen-month suspension for that drug test failure. The former champion had already seen his second win over Cormier changed to a No Contest, and the light heavyweight title had reverted back to D.C. Cormier, meanwhile, had gone on to win the UFC’s heavyweight title, joining an exclusive club of double-champs in the promotion, including B.J. Penn, Randy Couture, Georges St. Pierre, and Conor McGregor.
With D.C. swimming in success of late, and with a showdown with Brock Lesnar looming, it didn’t take long for the dual-champ to address Jones lack of punishment. Speaking on UFC Tonight mere minutes after Jones’ suspension (which ends in late October) was announced, Cormier was blunt.
“I think people get excited, people get excited about the prospect of us fighting again, but I’ve got a fight with Brock Lesnar. Why would I look back? Why would I look back to Jones now when I’ve got a fight?” Cormier said (via MMA Junkie). “Obviously as a competitor I want to fight the guy who’s beat me twice, but I’ve got a fight. Why go back? I’ve got a bigger fight with Brock Lesnar, why should I go back?”
And while he didn’t explicitly accuse USADA of any dirty dealings, it’s clear Cormier is not pleased with the organization.
“Here’s the deal: When it comes to USADA, they can’t come to my house anymore at 6 a.m,” Cormier said. “What’s the point? They’ve been to my house 15 times. USADA, don’t come to my house anymore. You don’t need too. You don’t need to come. I’m not going to fail a test, I’m not going to make any mistakes, I’m not going to have to sit up there and go, ‘I’m serious this time, guys. I promise I wasn’t really trying to cheat.’ It’s never going to happen with me. 70 times. 70 times since I started wrestling internationally and I’ve never made a mistake. It’s not that hard. So even to be sitting here and doing this again shows – guys are ridiculous.”
Cormier also suggested that he was only talking about Jones because of his duties on the show, though it’s hard to imagine the champion not commenting on the situation. The light sentence for a second infraction, which could have resulted in a 48 month suspension, took many by surprise. The going theory was that Jones would have been saddled with at least a two-year ban. Comparisons to fighters like Lyoto Machida and Josh Barnett, who many feel were treated unfairly by the Anti-Doping outfit, were made almost immediately.
