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Will Daniel Cormier's Clean Living Give Him the Edge Over ‘Middle-Aged' Jon Jones?
UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has no misgivings that he's in for a tough fight with Jon Jones at UFC 200, where he will look to unify his belt with the interim title that Jones hold. But just as much as he believes Jones is still one of the best fighters in the world, Cormier also feels that the years of trouble outside of the Octagon have weighed heavily on Jones, pushing his virtual age well beyond his 28 years.
“He'll be tough, he'll always be tough,” Cormier said during last week's UFC 200 media conference call. “He's a good fighter, but nothing's free. So, the Jon that showed up against Ovince Saint Preux is the guy who's going to be in the Octagon on July 9.”
Cormier was, of course, taking a dig at Jones' in-Octagon skills perhaps waning. To be sure, Jones has carried much heavier weight on his shoulders than most twenty-something's have, mostly due to his own poor decisions, something he readily admits.
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Jones has been involved in a car crash that earned him a DUI, he's tested positive for cocaine, he was arrested for a felony hit-and-run accident that injured another driver, amongst other transgressions.
When it comes down to Jones' performance in the Octagon, Cormier believes that the outside of the Octagon choices that Jones has made are finally catching up to him in the Octagon.
“All the partying, all the other stuff, you have to pay for that. It's starting to take a toll,” said Cormier.
“He's not the guy from before. He may be 28 years old, but in reality, he's lived on this earth much longer with the long nights and all the other stuff he's done.”
That, of course, doesn't change the fact that Jones already holds a victory over Cormier and most of the other top names the 205-pound division has to offer. That can be a tremendous psychological advantage, whether or not Cormier chooses to ignore it.
Cormier seems to think his cleaner living will be the difference at UFC 200 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
“I'm 37, but I haven't burnt it at both ends and become a middle-aged man at 28 years old.”
But will clean living and wins over Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson be enough to propel Cormier to victory?
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