Jon Jones fires back at Daniel Cormier after GOAT debate snub

Jon Jones has responded to some recent comments from the chief rival of his career, former two-division champion Daniel Cormier.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Cormier was asked for his thoughts on the perpetually roiling Greatest of All Time debate in MMA.

While many members of the combat sports world believe Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight champion, is the greatest fighter in MMA history, Cormier begged to differ, claiming Jones is ineligible for consideration on the basis of the drug tests he’s failed in the past.

“One of the most talented guys you’ll ever meet but again for me bad [drug] tests eliminate you from the conversation,” Cormier said of Jones. “I just cannot understand how that is so hard to comprehend in a sport where we’re fighting each other. In baseball, bad tests eliminate you from being considered and being in the Hall of Fame and you’re hitting a ball. You’re hitting an object that has no feeling. In fighting, you’re punching people, human beings, and you have bad tests that eliminates you. It’s just too dangerous.

“So I think when you start to think about the greatest of all time for all the things and all the great victories, you can’t look at those, me personally being a guy that those fights did really long term damage to my career, it’s hard for me to say [Jones] is the greatest of all time when every time we fought, there was some sort of issue. That for me, it just kind of changes the conversation.”

Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take Jones long for to respond from this dig from Cormier. The former light heavyweight champ, who vacated his title earlier this year with eyes on the heavyweight division, issued a fiery response on Twitter.

With USADA you are guilty until proven innocent unless you are the goat. When you’ve been winning this damn long, you remain guilty, it helps people sleep at night

— BONY (@JonnyBones) November 16, 2020

People will remember I was accused of steroids, they will also remember that I was proven innocent and able to continue with my career. #Facts

— BONY (@JonnyBones) November 16, 2020

DC you lost your last fight and then quit the sport 😂 Talk about being eliminated from the conversation 🥴

— BONY (@JonnyBones) November 16, 2020

“With [the United States Anti-Doping Agency] you are guilty until proven innocent unless you are the GOAT,” Jones wrote. “When you’ve been winning this damn long, you remain guilty, it helps people sleep at night.

“People will remember I was accused of steroids, they will also remember that I was proven innocent and able to continue with my career,” Jones continued.

“DC you lost your last fight and then quit the sport,” Jones concluded, targeting Cormier for retiring after a loss to UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. “Talk about being eliminated from the conversation.”

What do you think of this response from Jon Jones?