Daniel Cormier compares second Jon Jones fight to being “pissed on by a skunk”

Back in July, in the main event of UFC 214, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier sought to defend his title opposite his fiercest rival, Jon Jones. Despite a strong start, Cormier was ultimately turned off by a Jones head kick, which signalled the end of his title reign – but only for a moment.

Shortly after UFC 214, we learned that Jones had failed a pre-fight drug test. In the wake of this development, Jones’ knockout win was rendered a no contest, and the title was returned to Cormier.

Now, the reinstated champ Cormier is looking ahead to his next challenge. He will attempt to defend the UFC light heavyweight title against surging contender Volkan Oezdemir in the co-main event of UFC 220 this January 20 in Boston.

Unsurprisingly, Cormier is looking at this fight as a chance to rebound from this July’s debacle with Jon Jones. The champ explained this feeling on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour, comparing his latest encounter with Jones to a run-in with a skunk.

“On July 29th, I was there,” he said of his first fight with Jones. “I was in the Octagon on July 29th in Anaheim, and it was going all so good until it wasn’t anymore, and I lost the fight. So that has not changed. So I need to go out and fight against Volkan Oezdemir and beat this guy to feel like myself again. I feel like there is a stench on me. It’s almost like I got pissed on by a skunk, and I just stink everywhere I go. So until I can get a really, really good bath … to get the stink off of me by beating Volkan Oezdemir, I’ll feel as I do right now. That’s just me. I’m a competitor, man. I know I lost that fight. I can’t erase that memory. I still have nightmares.”

Do you think Daniel Cormier will defeat Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 220 this January?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 12/12/2017.