Daniel Cormier Disagrees With Jon Jones Returning To P4P Top Spot

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Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier doesn’t believe that Jon Jones’ ascension to the pound-for-pound top spot was warranted.
This past weekend, Jones returned in a big way. Following two reigns and a lengthy period of dominance at 205 pounds, “Bones” came back from a three-year layoff to accomplish a new goal in mixed martial arts — membership to the double-champ club.
In emphatic fashion, Jones achieved his ambitions in the new environment at the expense of Ciryl Gane. The Frenchman was submitted in the third minute of their UFC 285 headliner, crowning the Rochester native as the eighth two-division titleholder in UFC history, and the third to secure the feat in the two heaviest weight classes.

And for Jones, the good news didn’t end on fight night.
In this week’s rankings update, Jones climbed from #10 to #1 in the male pound-for-pound order, essentially rendering the heavy debate between previous throne occupier Alexander Volkanovski and lightweight king Islam Makhachev null and void.
But for one of Jones’ biggest rivals, that shouldn’t be the case.
Cormier: ‘Jones Shouldn’t Be Above Volkanovski’
During a recent episode of ESPN MMA’s DC & RC show, Daniel Cormier reflected on the events of UFC 285, having called the action from cageside alongside Jon Anik and Joe Rogan.
While Cormier and Jones, who went back and forth in one of the UFC’s most bitter feuds, have been more cordial this year, the former light heavyweight and heavyweight champ isn’t giving “Bones” all the plaudits just yet.
In Cormier’s eyes, the P4P crown should still be held by featherweight titleholder Volkanovski, who secured the status last year owing to his decimation of Max Holloway in July and Kamaru Usman’s defeat the following month.
“I don’t, in my opinion, believe he (Jones) should be number one pound-for-pound,” Cormier said. “I think Alexander Volkanovski should still stay there. I don’t think he should be the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”

Jon Jones doing Jon Jones things, made that look easy! #ufc285— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) March 5, 2023

The debate surrounding the P4P ladder was already a prominent topic prior to Jones’ return on March 4, with many putting forth their cases for both Volkanovski and Makhachev. Discussion picked up when the Dagestani failed to usurp the Australian on the list despite successfully defending the title against him at UFC 284.
In the end, that back and forth was to be relevant for just a few weeks, with Jones returning to the #1 place he previously held.
Do you agree with Daniel Cormier? Is Jon Jones’ rise back to P4P top spot debatable?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.

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Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier doesn’t believe that Jon Jones’ ascension to the pound-for-pound top spot was warranted.


This past weekend, Jones returned in a big way. Following two reigns and a lengthy period of dominance at 205 pounds, “Bones” came back from a three-year layoff to accomplish a new goal in mixed martial arts — membership to the double-champ club.


In emphatic fashion, Jones achieved his ambitions in the new environment at the expense of Ciryl Gane. The Frenchman was submitted in the third minute of their UFC 285 headliner, crowning the Rochester native as the eighth two-division titleholder in UFC history, and the third to secure the feat in the two heaviest weight classes.



And for Jones, the good news didn’t end on fight night.


In this week’s rankings update, Jones climbed from #10 to #1 in the male pound-for-pound order, essentially rendering the heavy debate between previous throne occupier Alexander Volkanovski and lightweight king Islam Makhachev null and void.


But for one of Jones’ biggest rivals, that shouldn’t be the case.


Cormier: ‘Jones Shouldn’t Be Above Volkanovski’
During a recent episode of ESPN MMA’s DC & RC show, Daniel Cormier reflected on the events of UFC 285, having called the action from cageside alongside Jon Anik and Joe Rogan.


While Cormier and Jones, who went back and forth in one of the UFC’s most bitter feuds, have been more cordial this year, the former light heavyweight and heavyweight champ isn’t giving “Bones” all the plaudits just yet.


In Cormier’s eyes, the P4P crown should still be held by featherweight titleholder Volkanovski, who secured the status last year owing to his decimation of Max Holloway in July and Kamaru Usman’s defeat the following month.


“I don’t, in my opinion, believe he (Jones) should be number one pound-for-pound,” Cormier said. “I think Alexander Volkanovski should still stay there. I don’t think he should be the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”



Jon Jones doing Jon Jones things, made that look easy! #ufc285

— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) March 5, 2023[/quote]

The debate surrounding the P4P ladder was already a prominent topic prior to Jones’ return on March 4, with many putting forth their cases for both Volkanovski and Makhachev. Discussion picked up when the Dagestani failed to usurp the Australian on the list despite successfully defending the title against him at UFC 284.


In the end, that back and forth was to be relevant for just a few weeks, with Jones returning to the #1 place he previously held.


Do you agree with Daniel Cormier? Is Jon Jones’ rise back to P4P top spot debatable?


Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.




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