Daniel Cormier rips into Jon Jones in profane social media exchange
When Daniel Cormier fought Jon Jones at UFC 182 on Jan. 3, 2015, for the light heavyweight title, he desperately wanted to prove a point to Jones.
Cormier and Jones had developed an intense feud in the preceding year or so and wound up embarrassing themselves by brawling in the lobby of the MGM Grand following an Aug. 4, 2014, news conference.
After he dropped a unanimous decision to Jones at UFC 182, Cormier conceded that his emotions may have gotten the best of him.
He said on a conference call to promote UFC 187 that the feud with Jones had consumed his life heading into UFC 182.
The first time, the build up was insane. With all the stuff that Jon and I went through, fighting at that press conference and stuff, the build up was insane and it wore on me. And I was so emotionally attached to that promotion and that fight that I think at a point the energy was just kind of drained out of me.
He vowed to be different, but he’s been just as emotional since. They had to be separated several times prior to a scheduled UFC 200 bout last year that was ultimately canceled when Jones failed an anti-doping test.
And on Wednesday, Cormier was angrily tweeted at Jones and even managed to take a few shots at Jones’ supposed barber.
It started when Cormier took to Twitter to urge Jones to sign a contract to fight him at UFC 214 on July 24 in Anaheim.
Punk ass Jon still hasn't signed the contract!!!!!!!!!!!!! #comeonman
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) May 10, 2017
That might have been it, except that as often happens on social media, someone masquerading as a tough guy got involved.
A man whose Twitter handle is @JoeFaceBecker responded by mocking Cormier’s wrestling-heavy style (curious, since Jones’ style is also wrestling-heavy).
It’s significant that those tweets came from Endicott, N.Y., which is Jones’ hometown. So it may have been a case of jumping on the bandwagon for the hometown superstar.
@dc_mma U talk all that crap but when fight time comes you wanna hug and roll around, throw them hands fake champ
— Joe Becker (@JoeFaceBecker) May 10, 2017
@RyanKbunyan @dc_mma To be the real CHAMP you have to beat the man who had the belt fair and square, he is a default champ and he don't want it with @JonnyBones
— Joe Becker (@JoeFaceBecker) May 10, 2017
It went downhill from there. Cormier responded with a vulgarity to Becker, who then made a video with Jones sitting in a barber chair in which he ranted at Cormier. Jones and Becker also give Cormier the middle finger in the video.
Cormier responded with another vile tweet and promised to slap Becker.
It makes it seem like Cormier hasn’t been able to harness his emotions like he should prior to the much-anticipated rematch. If he goes into the rematch with so much anger, resentment and hostility, it’s difficult to see how he could stick to a game plan and fight the way he’d need to in order to defeat Jones.
Cormier would be wise to skip the social media interactions with Jones, because they do him little good and only encourage others.
If the rematch happens, only expect Jones to push harder and harder in a bid to get Cormier’s goat. Given that Cormier hasn’t shown he knows how to deal with it properly, it’s not a bad strategy.
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