Jon Jones makes prediction for Daniel Cormier vs. Stipe Miocic rematch

Daniel Cormier will attempt his second defense of the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 241, as he takes on the man he beat to win that title, former champ Stipe Miocic. Jon Jones, inarguably the fiercest rival of Cormier’s career, expects the champion to defeat Miocic once again — though perhaps not quite as easily.

In fact, Jones has quite a bit of praise for his arch rival.

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“I think Stipe will put up a better fight, but I do think DC will win again,” Jon Jones told Dan Hardy on Open Mat. “DC is an extraordinary athlete. His flexibility and his speed… For the way he’s built, it doesn’t really make sense. Even his endurance, for the way he’s built, he’s a special athlete.

“I don’t think most guys will beat DC,” he added. “I think the only way to beat DC is to catch him with a knockout shot — which Stipe has the power to do. The question is, can he land it? DC is smart. He’s going to use his wrestling and wit to find away to win again.”

Jon Jones continued, admitting that he considers Daniel Cormier the fighter with the best chance of handing him his first true loss. That being said, he doesn’t envision Cormier returning to the light heavyweight division, and has no plans of returning to the heavyweight division himself, so he doubts they’ll meet each other again.

“He’s definitely not coming down to light heavyweight again,” Jones said. “He says it, but there’s no way he’s coming back to light heavyweight. To lose that kind of weight, and to come up short [against me] again would be so devastating. It would take an incredible amount of courage to attempt it. And to come up short would just be so devastating. Why would he put himself through that for the third time?

“I’m a realist, Daniel Cormier is a special athlete,” he added. “Everyone can be beat. I think my greatest chance of losing would be to a guy like Daniel Cormier, with giving him a power and strength advantage over me [at heavyweight]. It doesn’t make sense. Right now I make light heavyweight very easily. It just wouldn’t make sense to fight a guy who is technically on your level and to give him a size advantage. I’m not doing it. I’m sure my fans don’t like to hear me talk like that, but that’s just me being a realist.”

What do you make of these comments from Jon Jones? Do you think we’ll see him fight Daniel Cormier again in the future?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 5/13/2019.