Daniel Cormier recently challenged Jon Jones to a wrestling match for Real American Freestyle (RAF).
Careful what you wish for?
RAF co-founder Izzy Martinez believes “DC” would lose to “Bones” on the mats, just like he did inside the Octagon, first at UFC 182 and then again at UFC 214. Or maybe Martinez is just doing that promoter thing where he gets a talent riled up, said talent lashes out, hype gets manufactured, and boom we have a match.
“Daniel Cormier hasn’t beat Jon,” Martinez told MMA Junkie
Radio. “I don’t think he can beat Jon at anything, but he needs to beat him at something, and the next best thing that he’s ever able to do is wrestle. So that’s always been the sh*t talk. ‘Oh, you could beat me in a fight, but I’d beat your ass in wrestling.’ Even when I was telling Hulk Hogan, it would be a hell of a dream because Daniel Cormier would actually think he’s going to come out here and kill Jon, and Jon will shock him again and the wrestling world will go crazy.”
Cormier, 46, was a three-time Louisiana state high school champion, a two-time junior college champion, and an NCAA All-American. “DC” would make the Olympic squad in 2004 and then again as Team Captain in 2008. As for Jones, 38, he won the New York state high school championship in 2005 and followed that up with an NJCAA National title for Iowa Central Community College the following year.
“Jon’s cool,” Martinez added. “He’s in his own world in a good way. He loves Gable Steveson. He’s down there. He loves his family. So I don’t think it’s a priority to put on wrestling shoes, give Daniel Cormier a shot at even coming close to him. I think Jon loves the fact that he lives in Cormier’s head. I don’t think Jon or ‘DC’ want to train that hard and put it on the line again. But if they do, they know who to call, baby.”
The first call will have to be to Jon’s orthopedist.
