Jon Jones has faced a lot of personal demons in the two years since he first fought current light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 182. Those battles outside the cage have rightly taken a lot of his life focus away from the fight inside the cage and forced him to prioritize what is most important in his life and career.
UFC 214: Jones and Cormier Get Back to Where it Matters
In the two years since they first fought for the title, Jones and Cormier have escalated their beef war on social media, on radio, on television and everywhere in between with both men flipping from hero to heel in the eyes of all those watching. On Saturday night, fight fans and fans of the UFC light heavyweight division can get the focus back to where it really matters. Inside the cage.
Many have pondered and discussed the somewhat odd perception and popularity of these two very opposite personalities – and certainly there has been a lot of time and space to do so. With Jones pegged as the screw up, and Cormier the former Olympian, held as the example to follow – the man to “like” in this alpha vs. alpha feud. Many are perplexed as to why the reality is quite the opposite, with Cormier getting booed and Jones cheered at many of the public appearances during the two year space between.
In today’s age of social media and everyone knowing everyone’s personal business, this feud has flipped the switch back to an earlier time, and proven one truth above all in the world of sports personalities and role models. At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter what goes on outside the Octagon, the thing that really matters is the work.
What happens inside the cage is the be all and end all and Jones is a one up of Cormier in all aspects of the game. Jones beat Cormier in their first meeting. That matters. Jones has really never been beaten. That matters. Cormier has been an excellent adversary in this story, not because he was a 2004 U.S.A. Olympian, not because he is a fine example of what a man should be, but because he is almost as good and accomplished inside the cage as Jones is. Cormier has only lost to Jones, and it was a very good fight. It is plausible and very possible that Cormier can hand Jones his first real defeat in his career and that is what really makes this fight intriguing.
Social media followers, popularity, family and backstory aside, these two men are two of the best fighters the UFC has ever seen – Jones possibly and arguably the best. That is why he gets the cheers and Cormier gets the boos. The perception is that Cormier is the second and he is merely holding the belt for Jones. Jones is the in-cage alpha.
On Saturday, at UFC 214 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Cormier will finally get the chance to flip the script on what really matters. A win against Jones will give him his legitimacy, but it won’t completely squash the beef. It will make the score 1-1 inside the cage and set up a possible and epic future rubber match between the two. A Jones win will undoubtedly end this feud and declare once and for all that he is better in the only place it matters. Inside the cage.
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