Cormier: ‘I’m not going to dance on a man’s grave’
UFC fighter won’t revel over mistakes of rival Jon Jones
If there is one person in the world who might be expected to revel in the misery of disgraced former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, it would be Daniel Cormier.
Obviously, Cormier is the immediate beneficiary as the man who will step in for Jones to fight for the vacant belt against Anthony Johnson on May 23 at MGM Grand after Jones was stripped of the belt for fleeing the scene of an accident in Albuquerque, N.M., last week.
Cormier also has personal reasons to celebrate the demise of Jones. The two have a long-standing rivalry that culminated in a brawl in the lobby of the MGM Grand last August after a promotional appearance in advance of their January fight.
NOTES
That event triggered a series of interviews that could be categorized as just plain mean, including several vulgar exchanges captured by microphones the fighters didn’t know were on.
In short, Cormier has no reason to sugarcoat his feelings on Jones’ pattern of behavior that eventually resulted in an indefinite suspension from the organization.
“I’m not going to dance on a man’s grave. That’s just not who I am and what I represent,” Cormier said. “This guy has children and a fiance. His parents are wonderful people. Does it change anything competitively between myself and Jon Jones? No. But it’s the human element. Who am I as a person and as a human? I hope this guy gets help and comes back to the UFC just as he was before.”
Not that Cormier disagrees with the decision UFC officials made in regard to Jones.
“I think he’s had multiple chances and the UFC had to do something. The UFC wants to be viewed as a mainstream sport on the level of the NBA and NFL and you can’t have guys behaving in that manner,” Cormier said. “Something needed to be done, not only for the promotion but for Jon. Something drastic had to be done so that he can actually go back and try to improve and help himself get better. Taking away his ability to earn and provide should be as low as a man should go.”
One man’s loss is another’s gain and Cormier hopes to take advantage when he fights Johnson for the belt. The two-time Olympic wrestler feels he is being underestimated because he is coming off the loss to Jones, even though he had built a 15-0 record before that fight and was considered Jones’ stiffest test to date before the fight.
“I’m getting these tweets like I’m just going to get rolled over by this guy. Like Roy Jones said, ‘Y’all must have forgot that I can fight.’ I’m not some guy that’s washed up and lost a bunch of fights in a row,” Cormier said. “I lost one time to the best fighter on the planet. For me to be getting the sentiment that I’ve been getting shows what Anthony’s done and people believe in him.
“But I’m going to tell you that I don’t buy it. This is a great matchup for me.”
■ HENDERSON HEADLINING — A middleweight bout between Dan Henderson and Tim Boetsch will now serve as the main event of the UFC card in New Orleans on June 6.
Cormier was scheduled to fight light heavyweight Ryan Bader in the headliner, but was pulled from the bout to fight Johnson. The UFC was unable to secure a suitable replacement opponent for Bader, a Reno native.
The card also includes a pair of featured heavyweight bouts.
Matt Mitrione will fight Ben Rothwell and Shawn Jordan, a former Louisiana State football player, will face Derrick Lewis.
■ UFC GOES BACK DOWN UNDER — The UFC returns to Australia this week with an event in Adelaide that will take place Sunday morning in Australia in order to begin at 4:45 PDT Saturday.
A heavyweight bout between contenders Stipe Miocic and Mark Hunt will headline the card.
Las Vegan Brad Tavares will fight Robert Whittaker in a middleweight bout.
The entire card will be streamed exclusively through the organization’s online platform, UFC Fight Pass.
■ GUILLARD LANDS IN BELLATOR — Former UFC lightweight contender Melvin Guillard signed with Bellator MMA, the organization announced Monday.
“We are excited to have Melvin coming on board,” Bellator president Scott Coker said in a release. “With (our roster of lightweights), the matchup possibilities for an exciting fighter like him are endless.”
No opponent or debut date was announced for Guillard.
Guillard spent nearly a decade in the UFC, including a stint on Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He went 1-3 with a no contest in his last five fights and was released from the organization.
Guillard, now 32, immediately signed with World Series of Fighting. He went 1-1, but missed weight in both of his bouts. He became a free agent last week. Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@ reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.