NEW YORK – Daniel Cormier has pulled back the curtain on what happened following the UFC 309 pre-fight press conference between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.
The situation between Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) and Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) has become more hostile as the days draw closer to Saturday’s heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden (ESPN+ pay-). Per View, ESPNews, ESPN+). Jones has said the fight has now become “very personal” for him after he believes his opponent took personal offense towards his family and called him a “bitch” on the ‘Countdown’ preview show, but Miocic believes this is an overreaction and claims he never talked about children. Jones.
Cormier, who has a long history with both sides in the championship bout, was not surprised by Jones’ behavior. He believes Bones is the type to use anything he can as motivation.
“A lot of great people do (take anything as motivation),” Cormier told MMA Junkie on Friday. “He loves it. He does well at it too. He’s worked well in our series of fights and he doesn’t mind it. We just talked at the weigh-in and he talked about how it was true, he didn’t make it up. He said: ‘I heard Stipe say that.’ I’m not lying. So it’s the absolute truth in his mind and he’s operating on the idea that Stipe Miocic insulted him and his family and wants to make him pay for it.
Cormier said Jones may be pressing the wrong buttons in this situation, or perhaps the right buttons. He revealed some of Miocic’s behind-the-scenes thoughts after leaving the confrontation with Jones, where he refused to shake hands and told him: “Never mention my kids.”
“He’s crazy,” Cormier said of Miocic. “You can tell. And when he got off the stage yesterday at the press conference, John said, ‘Don’t talk about my kids.’ And Stipe says, ‘I didn’t talk about your kids,’ and he was shaking his head. He came off the stage, ripped off his microphone and said to ‘Embedded,’ “He stopped filming. He was very angry and upset.”
Ultimately, the fight week interactions between the champion and the challenger have Cormier very excited for what is to come on Saturday. The bout has been criticized throughout the nearly 20-month buildup, but now that it’s on the doorstep, Cormier believes it was the right booking by the organization.
“For a while I thought these guys were being forced to fight. It shouldn’t happen. It should happen now,” Cormier said. “And as we got here, it should happen. I saw Stipe Miocic – it has to happen. He looks great – great physique. John looks great. He has lost some weight. I think you will see two of the best players in the best shape they have been in a long time competing for the coveted prize in mixed martial arts.
“I don’t care about the popularity some have for other belts. The most important belt in the world is the heavyweight championship, and we’re going to get two of the best fighters of all time fighting for it on Saturday night. I can’t wait.”
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