Cormier (photo) was devastated by Jones' departure from UFC 200. Photo: Disclosure/UFC
Daniel Cormier said he was “sad” and “disappointed” with the news that Jon Jones, who would be his rival at UFC 200, this Saturday (9), was caught in a surprise anti-doping test, which resulted in his departure from the event.
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The light heavyweight champion participated in a press conference held by the UFC in the early hours of this Thursday (7), in which he reacted to the news regarding his rival. “I am very disappointed. I worked really hard to prepare for this. But more than anything, I'm really disappointed. Hearing something like this is sad in many ways. I don’t know how to explain how I feel right now”, said Cormier, in an excerpt reproduced by the North American website “MMA FIighting”.
However, Cormier avoided harshly criticizing Jones, with whom he has had an intense rivalry for years. “I'm not the kind of guy who likes to crucify anyone, no matter who it is. USADA [United States Anti-Doping Agency, UFC partner] has changed a lot of things – they are a great organization that will clean up our sport. But Jon deserves to go through due process,” he continued.
At 37 years old and faced with the possibility of Jones receiving a long suspension, Cormier is beginning to admit the chance of never seeing his path cross with his rival's again. "Should I go straight. This is a chapter of my life that has been dragging me on for a long time. I guess we'll have to see what happens when he [Jones] appeals. Right now, I need to move on and start clearing my head of everything that concerns him,” he added.
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