Daniel Cormier’s long and storied rivalry with Jon Jones certainly goes beyond the Octagon.
The pair of fighters were embroiled in a heated feud back om 2015 and 2016 and there’s certainly no love lost between the pair.
With Jones back in the UFC and DC on commentary there’s no doubt the two have become more civil with each other.
However, that doesn’t mean they’re willing to let bygones be bygones.
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For many, Bones is considered the greatest fighter of all time, especially after returning to capture the UFC heavyweight championship.
But his all-time rival isn’t willing to give him the title of GOAT, and in fact, doesn’t even have him in his MMA Mount Rushmore.
In a segment on ESPN’s First Take, the former heavyweight champion named his four MMA icon, and left out a notable name.
He said: “There is going to be one person that is not on the list that you’re going to lose your mind, and you’re going to say that I’m harbouring bad emotion.
“As a guy that’s been in there with him twice, I will tell you he is the man. He came back and became the heavyweight champ of the world.
“But I can’t forget all the things that he has done.”
Jones defeated Cormier twice, however, one was overturned to a no contest after the current champ tested positive for a turinabol metabolite.
Jones also tested positive for estrogen blockers in 2016 after he defeated Ovince Sain Preux.
In saying that, an independent arbitrator had determined that the 35-year-old did not knowingly cheat on both occasions.
That hasn’t meant that Cormier has allowed to let the instances slide.
As for his Mount Rushmore, it’s a pretty damn good list, albeit without Jones.
He named Royce Gracie as he was the man ‘that put the sport on the map’ and it’s hard to argue with that.
He also included Chuck Lidell, for being ‘the face of the UFC for a really long time’.
George St-Pierre was also named, along with perhaps an arguable one in Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Although he explained his inclusion, saying: “There’s only one guy in this sport that has gotten out undefeated. It’s Khabib.”
No room for Jones.
Topics: Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones, UFC, MMA
Jayden Collins