MMA Fantasy: What if Jon Jones had fought Daniel Cormier in a trilogy bout?

MMA legends Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier's first encounter witnessed Cormier challenge then-UFC light heavyweight champion Jones for the latter's title at UFC 182 (Jan. 2015). 'Bones' won that showdown via unanimous decision, successfully defending the light heavyweight belt and handing Cormier his first professional MMA defeat.

In the ensuing years, Jones faced several challenges outside the octagon. He was involved in a hit-and-run case, besides testing positive for PEDs on multiple occasions. The 'UFC Athlete Conduct Policy' violations led to him being stripped of the light heavyweight belt more than once.

When their long-awaited rematch finally materialized at UFC 214 (July 2017), it was 'DC' who entered as the UFC light heavyweight champion. 'Bones' won their rematch via third-round KO (head kick and punches) and reclaimed the light heavyweight title. However, Jones tested positive for the PED turinabol. He was stripped of the title, and his KO win was overturned to an NC (No Contest).

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What if Jon Jones had fought Daniel Cormier in a trilogy bout?

Daniel Cormier retained the light heavyweight belt due to Jon Jones' positive PED test. 'DC' then defended the belt once, moved up to heavyweight where he won the UFC heavyweight title, and eventually retired in Aug. 2020 after back-to-back defeats against Stipe Miocic.

Meanwhile, Jones returned to beat Alexander Gustafsson in their rematch to capture the vacant UFC light heavyweight title in Dec. 2018. 'Bones' then defended the title thrice before vacating it in Aug. 2020. After a three-year hiatus, Jones debuted at heavyweight in March 2023, beating Ciryl Gane via first-round submission to win the vacant UFC heavyweight title, which he still holds.

Considering the variables at play, it'd be safe to say that a trilogy fight at light heavyweight would've favored Jon Jones more than Daniel Cormier. Currently, Jones is 36, whereas Cormier is 45 years of age. Their age differential and 'DC' being the naturally heavier fighter meant that his light heavyweight cut was inadvertently helping Jones.

Had they clashed at heavyweight, Cormier would've probably been able to defeat his archnemesis. Barring a pair of losses against all-time-great heavyweight Stipe Miocic in their rematch and trilogy; 'DC's' wrestling, punching power, and overall performances were stellar at heavyweight. Only Miocic bested him in the 265-pound weight class, going 1-2 against 'DC.'

The Jon Jones-Daniel Cormier trilogy dream matchup would've seen Cormier possess considerably better cardio than his 205-pound version. He'd have been able to push the pace, even more so than he did in his rematch against Jones up until that fateful head kick. But given Jones' unparalleled resilience, the best-case scenario for Cormier would've probably been a decision win at heavyweight.

Furthermore, given the ease with which Jon Jones won the UFC heavyweight title in his very first fight in the division, one can't help but wonder whether the heavyweight version of 'Bones' would've been too much for Cormier.

Examining the probability of a Jones victory in the dream trilogy matchup against Cormier, he'd have employed a similar strategy as he did in their rematch. 'Bones' would steer clear of Cormier's punches, even at the expense of letting 'DC' take control of the octagon and push the pace.

'Bones' would've consistently utilized long-range strikes and eventually caught the shorter fighter with a well-timed head kick.