Jon Jones isn’t exactly winning over many fans with his current plan to attempt to sidestep a rematch with No.1 contender Alexander Gustafsson in favor of a fight with Daniel Cormier instead, and his latest video message to the general public isn’t likely to change that.
“Asking for an undefeated Olympic wrestler, Strikeforce champion makes me somehow a coward?” Jones asks. “How about the fact I beat Gustafsson already, whether you guys like how close it was or not? It’s my career, not yours.”
He kind of has a point there, the No.2 ranked Cormier isn’t neccessarily an easier fight, though his delivery here leaves a lot to be desired and it doesn’t address the fact that he’d already publicly promised in an interview with ESPN earlier this year that he’d take on the rematch with Gustafsson after he fought Glover Teixiera.
There could be a potential flaw in Jones’ gameplan here though. Following his recent win over Dan Henderson at UFC 173, Cormier revealed that he had a knee injury prior to the fight and may require ACL surgery.
If he does opt to go ahead with that then there’s no chance Jones will be able to fight him next and will have to take on Gustafsson instead.
However, so far Cormier hasn’t turned down this hypothetical fight, and the opportunity to compete for the title may result in him throwing caution to the wind and putting off his surgery until later.
At the moment it’s believed that the UFC are still trying to convince Jones to take the eagerly anticipated rematch with Gustafsson though, and the Swedish fighter has been playing his part in trying to convince ‘Bones’ that he’s the man he should face next.
“Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, be a man, be a champ and sign that bout agreement and stop running,” Gustafsson wrote on Facebook. “Keep in mind that after I beat you and become the champ I might be doing the same to you when you chase me for a rematch, as a revenge for not accepting my challenge.
“Sooner or later you will have to face me, just make it sooner! The fans wants this fight, UFC wants this fight and I want this fight, and I damn deserve it.”
Jones appears to be content to dance to the beat of his own drum though, so his plea may well be falling on deaf ears.
PS. Jones originally posted his video message on Instagram, but took it back down later. Luckily someone had already saved it and reposted it on YouTube, so check it out for yourselves below…
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