Daniel Cormier has serious opinions about Jon Jones winning the “2023 Best MMA Fighter ESPY” award. Jones received the nominations along with other major names in the industry, like Islam Makhachev and Amanda Nunes.
Continue reading why Cormier doesn’t think Jones deserves the opportunity.
At UFC 285 in March, former heavyweight champion Jones, who had been absent for three years, promptly submitted Ciryl Gane and won the vacant title. Even though Cormier praised Jones’ performance, he gave an explanation of why he doesn’t believe it will be good enough to get him the 2023 ESPY for best MMA fighter.
Cormier expressed his uncertainty regarding whether one fight against Ciryl Gane in a year would be enough to put someone in that position. He clarified that his statement was not a knock on Ciryl Gane, as it was based on the fact that it was just one fight. Cormier mentioned the importance of considering the storylines that accompany other athletes, such as Makhachev defeating Oliveira to win the belt and defeating Alexander Volkanovski.
According to Cormier, when considering Amanda’s loss of her belt to Julianna Peña, followed by her subsequent victory, Jon Jones becomes a notable figure. Cormier believes that Jones holds significant star power and is currently one of the most prominent champions alongside Israel Adesanya. Cormier finds it astonishing that Jones might actually win the title due to his immense popularity among the other contenders.
Cormier stated that he believed Jones required an additional performance to position himself as a contender for an ESPY. He further mentioned that the storyline simply did not align.
Jones is also nominated for a Comeback of the Year ESPY. Moreover, fighters like Alyssa Thomas, Justin Verlander of the New York Mets, and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets are all nominated in the same category. Jones is more deserving of that honor, in the opinion of Cormier.
Finally, Cormier expressed his agreement by stating that he agreed with the notion that Jon Jones was the best comeback athlete. He affirmed his wholehearted support for this statement, acknowledging that Jones had been absent from the sport for three years but managed to make a triumphant return and achieve the status of heavyweight champion of the world. Cormier firmly believed that Jones’ accomplishments were undeniable and deserving of recognition.
What do you think of Cormier’s take on the renowned fighter? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
