"I will never forget the night I got knocked out by Jones" - Daniel Cormier explains the trauma of suffering a KO loss
Daniel Cormier has revealed that Jon Jones knocking him out at UFC 214 is still a negative thought present in his life to this day.
The former UFC two-division champion fought Jones twice at light heavyweight. The first bout, in 2015, had Jones defending the light heavyweight belt and being declared the winner via unanimous decision.
"DC" was the division's titleholder when they met in the Octagon again two years later. Jones landed a potent kick to Daniel Cormier's head, which stunned him. Unable to defend himself from Jones' strikes, Cormier was knocked out in the third round.
The decision has since been overturned to a no-contest after Jones tested positive for a turinabol metabolite and Daniel Cormier was reinstalled as champion. However, the traumatic experience still troubles him to this day.
Daniel Cormier told ESPN's Ariel Helwani that he still struggles to digest that bad memory in the latest episode of their "DC & Helwani" podcast.
"When you get knocked out like that, it never leaves the memory. You don't forget that. I will never forget the night that I got knocked out by [Jon] Jones. You constantly are reminded of that when you step back in there. The good memories last, but the bad memories haunt you."
The first fight between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones
The two MMA legends had one of the most intense build-ups in the UFC for their first fight at UFC 182. While Jon Jones would be defending the light heavyweight title for the eighth time in his career, it was Daniel Cormier's first title shot in the promotion.
However, things got out of hand when the provocations between the fighters trespassed the barriers of sportsmanship and good manners. Jones promised to kill "DC" after the latter threatened to spit at his face in an infamous leaked off-air talk.
Predictably, the face-offs for the fight became a war. Even Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier's presence was sidelined after Cormier pushed Jones, starting a brawl at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
When they finally entered the Octagon, it was a five-round battle. Both had good moments inside the cage, but Jones managed to convince the judges he was the better man that night.
Daniel Cormier threw some punches at his opponent even after the bout was already over, demanding referee Herb Dean's interference.
What was your reaction when Jon Jones knocked Daniel Cormier out? Let us know in the comments.