UFC icon Daniel Cormier recently honored Jon Jones after Jones announced his retirement from mixed martial arts. This decision marks a significant moment in the sport, especially as fans anticipated a potential showdown between Jones and Tom Aspinall. Instead, Jones has chosen to step away from fighting and confront new legal challenges.
Reflecting on a Longstanding Rivalry in the Octagon
Daniel Cormier, who has a deep history with Jon Jones, knows Jones’s impact intimately. Their rivalry lasted over ten years, featuring two high-profile bouts inside the Octagon. Initially skeptical about Jones’s retirement decision, Cormier expressed his thoughts during a recent podcast episode with Chael Sonnen.
“My immediate reaction to Jon Jones was, ‘If Jon Jones doesn’t fight this guy, he quit.’ I said that because I thought he needed to fight this guy. I thought you always give the next guy the opportunity…he decided not to do that.”
Over time, Cormier’s perspective on Jones shifted as he reviewed the entirety of Jones’s career.
Praising Jones’s Longevity and Generational Impact
Cormier acknowledged Jones’s remarkable ability to compete across multiple MMA generations. Jones not only dominated his peers but also defeated fighters from the generations that followed, such as Dominick Reyes, Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Ciryl Gane.
“I did give him his flowers in this regard — he’s spanned three generations, Chael. He went through that first generation, then he went through our generation, then he actually beat Dominick Reyes and Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos of the next generation, Ciryl Gane.”
He emphasized the unique level of excellence Jones maintained throughout his career, despite their rivalry.
Him and I have a whole history of ups and downs…but when you look at him overall, it was greatness from the moment he walked into the Octagon. How many people can have that level of greatness for that amount of time?
—Daniel Cormier, UFC Legend
What Jones’s Retirement Means for the UFC Landscape
Jon Jones’s departure leaves a gap in the UFC’s light heavyweight division, removing one of its most dominant figures. While Jones’s next steps involve handling legal issues and exploring new pursuits beyond fighting, fans and fighters alike will continue to debate his legacy. Daniel Cormier’s tribute highlights the respect earned by Jones despite their contentious past, underscoring Jones’s lasting influence on MMA.