Daniel Cormier became the new Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion last Saturday night (May 23, 2015) after submitting Anthony Johnson at UFC 187 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
While it's a dream come true for "DC," it's probably a nightmare for former division kingpin Jon Jones, who Cormier hopes was at home watching his bitter rival claim what once belonged to him. During his conversation on The MMA Hour, Cormier says if the roles were reversed, he'd definitely be going insane.
His words:
"I hope he was (watching). Can you imagine him sitting there watching me, of all people, get the belt? If the roles were reversed, I would be going insane if I had to watch him do that, if I were in his situation. He doesn't want to see me win, he doesn't want to see me carry what he probably feels is still his title -- which it isn't, it's mine. He doesn't want to see that. But I don't know, maybe Jon is in so much of a better place now after going through the issues that he has, that he's probably let everything go. But we will see, I guess."
Of course, Jones was stripped of his belt and suspended by UFC for his involvement in a hit-and-run accident a few weeks ago in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
It was a decision that had to be made, says Dana White, as Jones was previously given all the chances in the world to get his act together. Thankfully, UFC officials won't have to worry about Cormier giving the company a bad look as champion, as "DC" says he plans on respecting the title and the promotion.
His words:
"We (Lorenzo Fertitta) texted after the fight and he was very happy. I talked to him after the fight, I talked to Dana on Sunday and those guys are extremely happy with my performance and they are happy that I am the champion of UFC. I believe that I will represent this sport in the best light possible. I won't mess it up, I won't get myself in any trouble. I am going to live my life in the correct way and be a champion that kids can look up to and hopefully aspire to be like."
Cormier reiterated that he is indeed the true champion of the division, despite the fact that Jon never actually lost the belt inside the Octagon. That's because the Olympian insists that all the drama that has happened to Jones was brought on by himself.
Still, "DC" would love nothing more than to get one back on Jones -- a man he dubbed a "special" champion -- inside the eight-walled cage just to silence a few doubters.
Of course, "Bones" has to "get his shit together" before that happens.