MMA fighter Daniel Cormier believes that Jon Jones does not deserve an ESPY this year due to his single fight but should win the Comeback Athlete award, arguing that other champions like Leon Edwards, Islam Makhachev, Amanda Nunes, and also Israel Adesanya and Aljamain Sterling who weren’t nominated, would be more deserving based on their performances throughout the year.
Daniel Cormier, a decorated MMA fighter himself, has aired his thoughts on Jon Jones being among ESPN’s nominees for the Best Fighter ESPY. The award is slated for July 12, 2023, in Los Angeles and looks back at fights and fighters from July 2022 to July 2023. Joining Jones in the nomination are Leon Edwards, Islam Makhachev, and Amanda Nunes. Interestingly, Jon Jones has only had one fight in this timeframe, a win against Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight title in March. Cormier acknowledges Jones’ two-division champion achievement after a three-year pause from the sport but feels that his performance wasn’t as commendable as his co-nominees.
Expanding on his argument, according to Cormier, Jones having one win in a year against Ciryl Gane does not warrant his nomination. He believes that while there’s no disparagement toward Gane, the competition isn’t about one fight but the continued journey that the other athletes have undergone. From Makhachev’s victories over Charles Oliveira and Alexander Volkanovski to Amanda Nunes reclaiming her belt from Julianna Peña and Leon Edwards’ impressive run, Cormier depicts their path as more deserving. In his eyes, Jones, while the sport’s brightest star and contender, might be granted the award simply for his popularity.
Cormier further highlights Israel Adesanya’s consistent performance as another deserving nominee instead of Jones. Adesanya, he states, should have been in the ESPY run every year including the current for his holding onto the championship. He also questions Aljamain Sterling’s omission in the desired ESPY consideration, noting his achievements against T.J. Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo. The former two-division champion stresses these points not out of contention against Jones, but in favor of other deserving titleholders.
Cormier, after having noted Nunes’ unfortunate circumstance of never having won an ESPY and Edwards as this year’s most deserving, turns the conversation towards a positive end. He fully endorses Jones’ nomination for the Comeback Athlete Award. For Cormier, Jones’ three-year hiatus followed by a comeback to clinch the heavyweight champion title is a perfect fit for the award.