With Jon Jones Lagging, Daniel Cormier Offers To Fight ‘The Mauler’ For Interim Belt

Last week, No. 1-ranked UFC light heavyweight contender Alexander “The Mauler” Gustafsson took to the web to coax his archrival, longtime light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, to stop procrastinating and sign on the dotted line to face him later this summer.

Gustafsson and ‘Bones’ have been a collision course ever since their UFC 165, a fight that saw Jones keep the belt with a highly controversial unanimous decision win after he was bloodied and battered. The UFC has teased their long-awaited rematch as taking place at UFC 177 in late August, but Jones has supposedly been delaying on his part of the deal.

With “The Mauler” on board but Jones M.I.A., No. 2-ranked light heavyweight Daniel Cormier has a solution. Speaking to SportsWorldNews.com, “DC” said he would fight Gustafsson for an interim title if Jones won’t get the ball rolling:

“I know this will probably be unpopular, but if [Jones] won’t sign, whether it be for money or a lack of wanting to fight the kid, I’ll fight Alexander Gustafsson. But it should be for the interim title. If they’re putting a belt on the line, I don’t care what date it is. It was never about Jones, I just want the title. Besides, it’ll work out better for [Jones]; he won’t have to fight both of us.”

That’s an interesting point of view from Cormier, who recently got his biggest win at 205 pounds by demolishing a much smaller Dan Henderson at UFC 173 on May 24. “DC” has repeatedly voiced his willingness to wait for a title shot while this whole mess gets worked out.

With Jones owning a record seven straight UFC light heavyweight title defenses, it’s hard, if not impossible, to imagine the promotion creating an interim belt for Cormier and Gustafsson to fight for.

Jones may be exhibiting behavior of someone who is ducking their opponent, and many have accused him of doing just that with “The Mauler.”

But at the end of the day, the champion will defend his belt against Gustafsson and possibly Cormier, so there’s no reason for the UFC to allow even one of those potentially huge bouts to fall by the wayside, even if Cormier is growing impatient.

Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie for USA TODAY Sports