UFC: Manager Say Jon Jones More Focused Than Ever, Cormier Won't Not Dictate Terms of Rematch
The UFC has reinstated former light heavyweight champion and the best pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world Jon Jones after being suspended and stripped off his title last April due to a hit-and-run incident. His manager Malki Kawa told The MMA Hour that his client is more focused than ever before.
"The only word that can really describe Jon right now is focused. I've never seen him this focused. He's super focused. He's focused more than he's ever been before," Kawa said as quoted by Yahoo! Sports.
"He's still the greatest fighter we've ever seen, right. I've watched him through many different camps and the coaches have told me how he's done certain things in different camps," he added.
Jones pleaded guilty to one felony charge of leaving the scene of an accident but has avoided jail time when he was granted a conditional discharge, as reported by MMA Junkie. He was also given 18 months of supervised probation and is required to make 72 speaking appearances.
There is still no word from the UFC on who will be his opponent once he makes his return in the Octagon, but Yahoo! Sports noted that Dana White told Jim Rome of CBS Sports Radio last summer that Jones would get an immediate title opportunity once he is reinstated. It means that he will be facing Daniel Cormier for the second time.
The current light heavyweight champion said after his UFC 192 win over Alexander Gustafsson that he wants to fight Jones in a rematch but not in New York City. However, Kawa was quick to respond. He told MMA Fighting, "I don't think DC has any choice in the matter. Everybody knows who the champion is. If Jon wants to fight him in February, March, April, May, June, July, whatever, I think DC should just step up and take the fight."
Cormier lost to "Bones" via a unanimous decision last January in UFC 182. Kawa suggested that it would be perfect for the New York-native Jones to make his comeback in his home state. However, MMA is still illegal in the state of New York but UFC has a tentatively scheduled event on April 23 at Madison Square Garden.
If MMA won't be legalized in New York come April 23, Yahoo! Sports think the Cormier-Jones 2 should headline UFC 200 in July at Las Vegas, Nevada in the newly built MGM Arena.
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