The biggest benefactor of Jon Jones’ recent struggles with the law might just be Daniel Cormier.
The former #1 contender was swapped in for the light heavyweight champion for a match against Anthony Johnson with the winner being crowned the new champion (in light of Jones being stripped of the strap).
With less than a month to go before Cormier squares off against ‘Rumble’ Johnson, Cormier has already started selling the match in an interview with UFC Tonight yesterday.
“If you told me a few years ago that I would fight Anthony Johnson for a UFC championship I would say package the belt up and send it to San Jose,” Cormier said Tuesday on UFC Tonight.
While Cormier praised Johnson for an effective return to the ring (after legal struggles of his own), it’s clear he thinks that he will fare much better in his second chance at the title in 2015 and versus an opponent that isn’t Jon Jones.
“It’s a tough fight,” Cormier said. “Rumble Johnson’s a fantastic fighter. He has tremendous power and he’s got a confidence about himself right now. But I want to tell you guys right now, at the end of the day, Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson is who he is.
“At the core of Anthony Johnson, Anthony’s the guy who got submitted by Josh Koscheck. Anthony’s the guy that tapped out before Vitor Belfort got the choke in. At the core of him, he is who he is. I just have to go out and find that.”
