Daniel Cormier doesnât believe UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones should win the 2023 ESPY award for best MMA fighter.
Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) has been nominated alongside lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, welterweight champion Leon Edwards, and recently retired dual champ Amanda Nunes.
Jones, a former longtime heavyweight champ, returned from a three-year layoff to quickly submit Ciryl Gane and capture the vacant heavyweight belt in March at UFC 285. While Cormier was impressed with his performance, he explained why he doesnât think itâs enough to win Jones the 2023 ESPY for best MMA fighter.
âI just donât know if one fight in the year against Ciryl Gane puts you in that position,â Cormier said on his ESPN show âDC & RC.â âAnd thatâs no knock on Ciryl. It was just one fight. You gotta think of the storylines that follow these other athletes. From Makhachev beating âDo Bronxâ (Oliveira) to win the belt, from Makhachev beating Alexander Volkanovski. âŠ
âThen you look at Amanda losing her belt to Julianna (Peña) and then winning it back. Then Leon Edwards doing what he did. Jon Jones is in there because Jon Jones is the biggest star. Heâs the biggest star thatâs holding a championship right now outside of Israel Adesanya. Thatâs why heâs in there. Whatâs crazy about it is, he might win it because of him being the biggest star of the people in there.â
Jones has been linked to a title defense against former champ Stipe Miocic, but is yet to be booked for his next fight. Cormier wanted to see a little more from Jones.
âI think Jones needed one more performance to find himself in the running for an ESPY,â Cormier continued. âThe storyline just doesnât add up.â
Jones is also nominated for an ESPY for comeback of the year. Nominated in the same category is Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets, Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun, and Justin Verlander of the New York Mets (formerly Houston Astros).
Cormier, who won the 2019 ESPY for best MMA fighter, thinks thatâs the award that Jones should win.
âI agree with that: Jon Jones best comeback athlete, yes,â Cormier said. âIâm all in on that. Three years away, comes back and becomes the heavyweight champion of the world, absolutely, yes.â
He finished a former champion in 2 minutes. Stfu DC
i mean, heâs got a point. But people will call him salty because heâs DC and has a history with Jon. But everything he said is tru. Guy comes off a 3 year hiatus and beats a guy that lost to Francis with 2 bad knees and heâs the best fighter of the year? ok bud
champ? you mean the little interim belt they gave him when francis didnt want to defend in 3 months?
Interim belt is a belt therefore he was a champion
Jones shouldnât even be in the discussion. What has he done compared to Oliviera?
ok fine, if you think it was legit. Jon being fighter of the year with only one fight is still not legit tho
Why is DC settling into this niche of negativity?
Just pumping out headlines lately about what people donât deserve.
Can we get someone to start reporting all the things DC doesnât deserve?
Nothing but a modern day Steve Jennum!
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