4.) Overconfidence:
At the core of reasons Jones could lose is his massive overconfidence, which lends to his belief that he can overcome any challenge to win any fight. It could definitely be said that it is both a blessing and a curse in this instance.
He showed the heart of a true champion in his UFC 165 war with Alexander Gustafsson, the first bout he was ever truly in trouble in.
But instead of granting “The Mauler” an immediate rematch due to the fight’s incredibly controversial nature, Jones instead made the “badass” decision to face off with Glover Teixeira, a shorter and slower slugger who had yet to face one Top 5-ranked opponent in his UFC tenure.
Of course he won that fight, but then he campaigned for Cormier and Gustafsson to fight one another to decide his next opponent until he finally signed on to face Gustafsson at UFC 178.
Cormier only got the title shot when “The Mauler” went down with knee surgery.
Jones may come off as supremely confident, but that public face may mask an air of insecurity. His actions would suggest that he believes he’s already won each and every fight before he steps in the cage. As his opponents get better, that isn’t going to cut it.
He obviously underestimated Gustafsson in a big way, and it could be argued that Cormier is the more dangerous of the two.
Cormier’s nearly flawless track record could lend to some overconfidence of his own, but he’s been humbled too much in wrestling to take his latest hurdle with anything but the utmost sincerity.
If Jones takes Cormier too lightly in Las Vegas, he could see the title belt strapped onto a waist other than his own for the first time in nearly four years.
