DC: I can’t help OSP beat Jones – I didn’t
Daniel Cormier: “I can’t help him beat Jon because I don’t know how to beat Jon Jones – I didn’t do it. I can only prepare myself as best I can to try and prepare to beat him.:
Part of a fighter’s job is communicating via the media, and through social networks. As such, the communication is characteristically a means to an end, rather than an accurate reflection of what the fighter actually thinks and feels. Sometimes though, there are exceptions.
After UFC light heavyweight Daniel Cormier was injured and had to pull out of the fight with Jon Jones at UFC 197, DC offered up his camp to Ovince Saint Preux, for free. Jon reacted irritably, to DC’s amusement. OSP said he was sticking with the gal that brung him.
Now in an interview with Damon Martin for FOX Sports, Cormier opened up with remarkable candor.
“I can’t help him beat Jon because I don’t know how to beat Jon Jones – I didn’t do it,” said Cormier. “I can only prepare myself as best I can to try and prepare to beat him.
“Like I said, I didn’t beat him the first time so I don’t have some secret serum to give Ovince, but I would try to help him because even by me being there, it bugs him.”
“I’ll be watching it. Obviously, Ovince and I are two different fighters. If I was as tall as Ovince, the advantages Jon has over me wouldn’t be so big. I’ll be watching it but not necessarily with the idea that I can do the things that Ovince is going to be able to do.”
“I’ll be watching it just to see how Jon competes after being away so long. I can only watch it as a spectator. That’s all I can do. I can’t go there and fight and I’ll watch it as a spectator and try to enjoy it as much as I can. I’ll try to see if he does anything differently. I’ll try to see if there’s anything I can exploit when we have our time.”
Jon Jones fights Ovince Saint Preux for the UFC interim light heavyweight championship at UFC 197 on April 23, 2016 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.