When news broke late last night that Jon Jones had decided to check himself into a drug treatment facility after the UFC light heavyweight champion tested positive for cocaine metabolites, the reaction of the majority of professional fighters was one of outrage.
But that sentiment wasn’t shared by recent title challenger Daniel Cormier who was beaten by Jones just four days ago.
D.C, whose long-running feud with “Bones” came to a head with a unanimous decision defeat on Saturday night, was surprisingly composed and classy in his comments about the news.
Cormier (15-1) told MMAFighting.com: “I am aware of Jon’s test, and if there is anything to say it is this: there are a lot of people you impact, so please let’s get it together. Good luck on your rehab!”
The Olympic wrestler was also open and contemplative about his opinion that the news has nothing to do with the outcome of their UFC 182 clash.
He told MMAJunkie.com: “At the end of the day, it doesn’t change the result of the fight. It’s more sad than anything.
“It doesn’t make me feel better to have lost against a guy who was doing drugs,” he added.
Cormier was very vocal in the build-up to Saturday’s fight that he was not a believer in Jones’ good boy image but did not take the ‘I told you so’ route when asked for comment.
He said “I thought this is a guy who has kids and this guy needs to be a positive light for a lot of people. I don’t really feel like I look at him any differently. I just want the guy to get help and just be like a guiding light for people, to be a positive influence.
“You see glimpses of it, like him giving clothes to the homeless on Christmas. You just kind of hope that he can make that how he is all the time.
“He makes an impact on a lot of people because of his status. He’s a guy that really impacts people at a whole different level than most guys in MMA. So, with that being said, you would hope that he takes it serious, gets whatever help he needs, and comes out better on the opposite side.”
Total class act!
H/t to MMAJunkie.
