What Next?: Jon Jones / Daniel Cormier

Good Day Fight Fam! 

With all of the support I have received over Instagram, you all have inspired me to start my first blog.  Major thanks from the bottom of my heart, as I could not have done it without each and everyone of you.

I have decided to call my first segment (as titled) 'What's Next', in these blog posts I will give my two cents on certain fighters and what should happen next for them. Therefore, lets get right into it!

Jon Jones

 Jon 'Bones' Jones put in a spectacular performance at UFC 214 that definitely ended the Jones/Cormier rivalry. Jones returned from a long layoff to once again claim his throne at the top of the LHW division. He employed his long reach to keep DC at a distance and managed to mix up his striking just enough to keep him guessing.

By dispatching of Daniel Cormier (arguably the 2nd best LHW ever), there are only 2 more fights that make sense for Jon at LHW, and a plethora of possibilities at heavyweight.

• Winner of Volkan Oezdemir v Alexander Gustafsson -
  • Volkan Oezdemir is a young 27 year old fighter who can really pack a punch. He has a combined record of 15-1 with 11 coming by way of knockout and has proved to be a safe bet when he is the underdog. Gustafsson on the other hand has shown great improvement since his slump in the UFC. Gus put on a striking clinic against Glover Texeira (a very feared boxer) and dispatched of him in 'Mauler' fashion. It is also worth noting that Gus gave Jon Jones his toughest fight to date and was considered the victor by many.  Nonetheless, the winner between Gus and Oezdemir should face Jon in a bout for Light-Heavyweight gold.  Other than these two men, I do not see any competition in the LHW division that poses a threat to Jon's status as supreme.
• Brock Lesnar
  • A bout with Brock is a surefire PPV that many will pay to see. While Brock may not have the star-power he once did, a few promos and some trash talk with the P4P great will easily bring him to the top again. This is a good move for Jon financially, a great way to ease into the heavyweight division, and one the fans definitely want to see.
• Cain Velasquez
  • This is a super-fight people have been eyeing since Jon's first title reign. Surprisingly enough, people are still interested to see how this one goes down. While Jon Jones may not be a Heavyweight, this would be a great victory for Velasquez. I personally have always felt that a win over someone ( even ranked in the 5-8 spots) with a 'winning streak' or on the rise, is more meaningful than a victory over someone ranked high but on an obvious decline.
    • For example, Francis Ngannou ( ranked at 5) will be facing Junior Dos Santos (ranked at 4) in November, while I admire JDS and he is ranked above Ngannou, this is an easy victory for Ngannou as JDS is on his way out. A victory over JDS does not have the same value (to me at-least) as a victory over Mark Hunt (ranked at 6) or Derrick Lewis (ranked at 7) would have.
  • As for Jones, a win over Cain is not only a great way for him to 'rub more dirt' in AKA's face but it undoubtedly makes him the next title-contender at Heavyweight (if he is not already).
• Stipe Miocic
  • If McGregor got an immediate shot to fight for the Lightweight title, why can't Jones? This would be THE super-fight, as Stipe is clearly the best in that division right now (possibly all-time). Claiming gold at Heavyweight by beating 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' would be one of Jon's top accomplishments and end all arguments for the All-Time Greatest.

Daniel Cormier

DC is one of the greatest to ever do it. He is a true role model for not only fans but fighters all over. He defended the LHW title against many of the top prospects in the division and never shied away from a challenger. At 38 years old, DC does not have much else to prove to anyone but himself, if he so desires. So what next? 

• Return to Heavyweight
  • Cormier was a dominant Heavyweight contender and was undefeated up until his meeting with Jon Jones. He triumphed over the likes of Josh Barnett, Bigfoot Silva, and Frank Mir. In 2016, a report showed that the average age of the Heavyweight division was 35 years old. One year later we still see the same faces. At 38 years of age, he would be much safer fighting in the Heavyweight division. I believe DC has it in him to make one more run at the title.
• Retirement
  • As I stated earlier, Daniel Cormier has proven everything he needed to prove. His career is full of accolades and accomplishments. 
    • UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
    • Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion
    • King of the Cage Heavyweight Champion
    • Multiple medals in Freestyle Wrestling and Olympic competitor
  • DC has accomplished more than the average fighter making him bound for the HOF. At 19-2 (10-2 in the UFC), Cormier can happily hang up the gloves. As for after MMA, we won't have to worry about missing him. I am sure we will see him sitting next to Ken Flo and Karyn Bryan on Fox Sports covering all the fights.

Conclusion

 Well Fight Fam there goes our first blog entry ! Love it or hate it, feel free to leave comments and give your opinions! Feel free to ask any questions on the IG page @Fight.Hound and our Facebook: Fight Hound which is relatively new. 

Again please give input as I want to be able to connect more with the MMA/Boxing community. I would be more than happy to feature some of your questions every week and give input! 

Thanks again !

-Fight Hound