Daniel Cormier Outraged by Ex-UFC Champ's Praise for Jon Jones

Daniel Cormier nearly walked off Kamaru Usman's podcast for what he said about Jon Jones.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Is Jon Jones to MMA what Michael Jordan was to basketball?

Kamaru Usman says the UFC Heavyweight Champion is "not far from it" with a former foe of Jones' wholeheartedly disagreeing.

Labeled 'the greatest of all time' by many in the MMA community (including UFC boss Dana White) it's hard to deny Jones' resume of work that has seen him defeat wave after wave of light heavyweights, now turning his attention to the heavyweight division, where he won his second title from Ciryl Gane last year and will defend it against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 on Nov. 16 in NYC.

Though, Jones' greatness isn't without some shortcomings along the way like his previous arrests and drug tests, one of which came back positive for turinabol, turning a TKO-win over Daniel Cormier to a No Contest result at UFC 214 in 2017.

UFC 214: Cormier vs. Jones. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Max Holloway Swaps Jon Jones for UFC Icon in His MMA Mount Rushmore

Cormier Chimes In On Usman Building Up 'Bones'

So, you might imagine how 'DC' felt after hearing Usman compare Jones to that of a superstar like Conor McGregor, with there being no one bigger in MMA than the Irishman.

Usman said: "As far as UFC is concerned, as far mixed martial arts is concerned. Jon is at
the level that Conor is at to where he could select..."

"I thought you [were] about to say Michael Jordan or some crazy s*** like that," Cormier responded to Usman on his Pound 4 Pound Podcast. "I'm leaving, man. If you were to say that, I'm leaving, man."

"To be honest, Jon is in a sense the Michael Jordan that we've seen in MMA," Usman replied.

😳Kamaru Usman tried to compare Jon Jones to Michael Jordan what made Daniel Cormier mad, even saying that he’ll leave

🎥 @pound4poundshow▫️ pic.twitter.com/B2iZbl4Ub5

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 26, 2024

Comparing Jon Jones To Michael Jordan - DC Isn't Having It

Regarded as the consensus 'greatest of all time' in the sport of basketball, Jordan won a total of six NBA Championships with the Chicago Bulls - setting himself apart as one of the world's most iconic athletes, not just in basketball, but across all sports.

NBA superstar Michael Jordan. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

When it comes to combat, there are few fighters that have legacies comparable to Jones, such as Georges St-Pierre and Demetrious Johnson - former champions who don't have nearly as many asterisks to their name as "Bones" Jones.

"He isn't [the Michael Jordan of MMA]. I'm about to leave... You done with the interview? Do you just want to be done?" Cormier said, when asked by Usman if he shared the same opinion.

"DC, right now, really?" Usman continued. "You're gonna tell me, going through everything that he has gone through, he's not at that level to where... obviously, we're not talking about the outside the [Octagon] but as far as in the sport, Jon is at that level."

UFC Champion Jon Jones. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

"So, you telling me that Jon Jones is Michael Jordan and LeBron James at MMA? You gonna sit up here, real life on 1, 2, 3, 4... 5 cameras," Cormier said.

"He's not far from it," Usman said of Jon Jones.

Agreeing to disagree with Usman, Daniel Cormier explains it's hard to put Jon Jones in the same "rarified air" as Michael Jordan, knowing the many controversies the current heavyweight champion has had over the years.

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