Cormier: Jones and I are better than Liddell and Ortiz have ever been
Daniel Cormier believes him and Jon Jones as the new breed of light heavyweights are better than their predecessors.
Just a decade ago, the likes of Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell were the kings of the light heavyweight division. But in 2011, the new breed of 205-pound champion emerged in the form of Jon Jones.
“Bones” held a four-year title reign before succumbing to his own personal issues that led to the stripping of his title. Daniel Cormier, in turn, stepped up to the plate by beating all comers to fill the void left by Jones.
As the current titleholder, Cormier believes he and Jones have already surpassed the level of both Ortiz and Liddell, and have set the bar higher.
“Let’s forget about the old guys,” Cormier told FOX Sports analyst Colin Cowherd on his recent appearance on The Herd. “The old guys were good, they were great. (But) you’re watching the two best fighters in the light heavyweight division’s history because nobody in the past can beat Jon or I. So you’re watching the two best.”
“It’s the same with basketball and everything,” he continued. “We’ve got to let go of our childhood and understand that people can be better. And Jon and I are better than the Chuck Liddells and the Tito Ortizes have ever been. We’re more skilled, the game changes. And I watch you every morning make this case for LeBron James. LeBron James is a better basketball player than Michael Jordan.”
DC giving props to Jones did not mean he was easing up on putting his long-time rival on blast. Unsurprisingly, he once again went on to rip on the former champion for the previous failed drug test at UFC 200.
“I think he has to (be clean) this time, with USADA and everything,” Cormier said. “And you hear guys like Alexander Gustafsson now saying he believes Jon was enhanced throughout his career. But before, we had no sanctioning body like USADA. USADA, now, is on top of all that.”
“I do believe that we will see a different fighter in Anaheim (at UFC 214), because I do believe he has to be clean this time. Otherwise, he’ll be caught. And that’s why he got caught last time. I think he fought Ovince Saint Preux clean, and didn’t like the way he felt, and tried to do something again dirty, and got caught at UFC 200.”
UFC 214 is slated to take place on July 29th at the Honda Center.