Jon Jones rules out third Daniel Cormier fight: ‘I’ll let him breath easy’

At UFC 230 this Saturday, Daniel Cormier will look to defend his heavyweight belt against Derrick Lewis. In December, at UFC 232, Cormier’s arch rival Jon Jones will make his return to the Octagon opposite Alexander Gustafsson. The winner of this fight will be crowned the new UFC light heavyweight champion — a title that Cormier currently owns.

Interestingly, Daniel Cormier has said that if he loses at UFC 230 this weekend, he might be compelled to drop back down to light heavyweight and defend his title, which would throw a wrench in the UFC’s plans to crown the Jones vs. Gustafsson winner the new light heavyweight champion.

Jon Jones, however, doesn’t think much of this plan.

“Cormier said that he can go back down to light heavyweight at any point and defend the belt? Defend the belt that was never his. I don’t understand how that works,” Jones said at Friday’s UFC 232 press conference. “If Daniel Cormier wants to come down to light heavyweight he can challenge one of the contenders.”

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier have one of the greatest rivalries in all of MMA. Jones has come out on top in their two previous fights, with one being overturned to a no-contest due to a failed drug test. When asked whether Cormier deserves the opportunity for a third fight, Jones did not hold back.

“There is no reason to grant him a fight, he got knocked out the last time we fought,” he said.

However, that only seems to rule out a fight at light heavyweight. If both Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones win their next fights, the foundation would be laid for a huge trilogy fight for the belt in the heavyweight division. Even under these circumstances, however, Jones wouldn’t be too interested.

“I would fight DC at heavyweight but I feel like I have nothing to prove. I’ve beat him twice,” said Jones. “I feel like fighting him at heavyweight is putting all the cards in his favor, I have nothing to prove against Daniel Cormier.

“I always say a lot of this fighting is not personal to me, my goals are just to be great, it is not about these individuals rivals,” Jones continued. “So, me challenging Daniel Cormier would make it a personal thing. If he had beat me I could see me challenging. I have done enough to that guy and I’ll let him breath easy and enjoy his stuff.”

Do you think Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones will ever fight again?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 11/2/2018.