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Life after Jon Jones: Daniel Cormier looking to make a statement

Daniel Cormier weighs-in for a UFC 182 light heavyweight mixed martial arts bout against Jon Jones in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Sun via AP, File)
Roar Rookie
15th January, 2018
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The co-main event of UFC 220 sees Daniel Cormier put his newly regained light heavyweight title on the line against the hard-hitting Volkan Oezdemir on January 21.

Cormier is looking to shake the stigma of longtime rival Jon Jones, who bested him for the championship at UFC 214 last July via TKO.

Cormier was subsequently renamed champion following Jones’ failed drug test for an anabolic steroid. Jones has been suspended by the UFC and if found guilty he faces up to four years out.

Jones is the youngest UFC champion in history and is widely considered as one of the best fighters to ever compete in the Octagon. For Cormier, the best thing he can do is get right back in the Octagon and pick up a dominant victory against Oezdemir.

This is the first step on the road to removing the cloud Jones places over his status as the best light heavyweight in the world.

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Ozdemir (15-1) will be a stern test. The fast-rising Swiss has built a name for himself with knockout wins over contenders Jimi Manuwa and Misha Cirkunov.

But Ozedemir is not the first heavy hitter that Cormier has squared off against. Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson was highly touted for his ability to send foes to the canvas with relative ease. Cormier managed to utilise his Olympic-level wrestling ability to defeat ‘Rumble’ on two previous occasions.

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“It’s not just about punching hard,” Cormier said. “This game is about much more, it’s about what you have up top, mentally, all-around mixed martial arts game, experience, all these things, whether I’m at the commentary booth, the host table or something, or just on these calls, there are levels to this game on the level. When a person isn’t on the level, they get exposed, very quickly.

“I think that Volkan is a fantastic fighter. I believe that he believes in himself and in his power. But to beat me just being powerful is not enough.”

With a win over a powerful contender like Oezdemir, Cormier may begin to reposition himself over Jones and lay his legacy as the greatest light heavyweight of all time.

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