Daniel Cormier breaks his silence following heartbreaking loss to Jon Jones
Daniel Cormier has opened up about his defeat on Saturday night for the first time.
The former UFC light heavyweight champion released a statement on Sunday evening following a heartbreaking knockout loss to Jon Jones in the main event at UFC 214 on Saturday night.
Cormier was faring well in the rematch with his biggest rival until he was blasted with a head kick in the third round that brought about the end of the fight.
An emotional Cormier didn’t have many words for UFC color commentator Joe Rogan immediately following the fight, but after having time to collect his thoughts he released a statement via his Instagram account.
“First off, thank you all for the kind words. I have felt the support,” Cormier wrote. “Congratulations to Jon Jones and his team. They did a phenomenal job and got the victory. Also, to Big John McCarthy, I would like to apologize for acting up with you. I am thankful for the time you gave me to try and defend myself and stay in the fight. You are the best in the business for a reason.
“I also wanna thank my team and my coaches. I love you all from the bottom of my heart. Your time and energy is greatly appreciated. You guys did a wonderful job, I was ready. It’s a fist fight and things happen. Dana White and the UFC, thank you for being the premiere organization in all of MMA. Again, congrats to Team Jones and Jackson-Wink. Love you all. I’ll see you soon.”
Cormier’s apology to McCarthy came after he argued the stoppage in the fight with Jones because he woke up after being knocked out and struggled to regain his bearings in the Octagon not realizing the fight was over.
UFC president Dana White later commented that Cormier was upset about the ending until he saw the replay in the arena, which let him know that the fight was definitely over based on the knockout.
Cormier has made no indication on his future following the loss to Jones, which was the culmination of the past two years for him after falling the new champion in 2015 as well.
For now, Cormier will take some time off to rest, recover and relax before addressing his next move for his career in the UFC.
