NEW YORK – Daniel Cormier pulled back the curtain on what happened in the aftermath of the Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic showdown at the UFC 309 pre-fight press conference.
The demeanor between Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) and Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) will be on the line for Saturday’s heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden (ESPN+ They are becoming more hostile as the deadline (paid) approaches. Perview, ESPNews, ESPN+). Jones called the fight “very personal” for him, as he believes his opponent made personal disrespect towards his family and called Jones a “bitch” during a preview show on “Countdown.” However, Miocic believes that is an overreaction and insists he is voicing his opinion. They never talked about the Jones children.
Cormier, who has deep history with both teams in the championship game, wasn’t surprised by Jones’ attitude. He believes that “Bones” is the type of person who uses anything he can to motivate himself.
“A lot of the greats (take anything as motivation),” Cormier told MMA Junkie on Friday. “He likes it. He’s performing well in that regard as well. He’s performed well in our series of fights and didn’t mind it. We talked at the weigh-in show, but… He said it was true – he didn’t make this up. He said, “I heard Stipe say that.” It’s not a lie. ‘So in his mind, that’s the absolute truth, and he’s acting on the idea that Stipe Miocic insulted him, insulted his family, and he wants to make him pay for it. ”
Cormier said Jones could be pushing the wrong buttons in this situation, or the right ones. Miocic revealed behind-the-scenes insight that after his confrontation with Jones, Miocic refused to shake his hand and told him, “Don’t ever talk about my kids.”
“He’s angry,” Cormier said of Miocic. “I understand. When I got off stage at the press conference yesterday, John said, ‘Don’t talk about my kids.’ Stipe then said, “I’m not talking about your kids,” and shook his head. He gets off stage, rips off the microphone and tells him it’s “embedded” and “stop filming.” He was very angry and upset. ”
All in all, the interactions between champion and challenger during fight week have Cormier very excited to see what happens on Saturday. This matchup has been criticized for almost the entirety of the fight’s 20-month run, but now that the fight is right around the corner, Cormier believes this was the right booking by the organization.
“For a while, I thought, ‘These guys are forcing a fight.’ That shouldn’t happen.’ It should happen now,” Cormier said. “If you come this far, it should happen. I’ve seen Stipe Miocic, it should happen. He looks great, he’s in great shape. John looks great. He’s got a little bit of weight. I think we’re going to see two of the best men who have been in top condition for a really long time competing for the most coveted award in mixed martial arts.
“I don’t care about the popularity some people have for other belts. The most important belt in the world is the heavyweight championship, and on Saturday night two of the greatest fighters of all time will be holding that belt. I can’t wait to fight for it.”
For more information on this card, visit MMA Junkie’s UFC 309 event hub.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and other content with mixed martial arts fans.
