For the first time in the best part of a decade, neither Jon Jones nor Daniel Cormier are the reigning UFC lightweight champion.
The man who now holds that belt, Jan Blachowicz, has wasted little time in calling both of the former champions. Immediately following his win against Dominick Reyes where he claimed the vacant championship, he used his time on the mic afterwards to call for a bout with Jones, referring to him as a “quitter” for leaving the light heavyweight fold to move to the heavyweight division.
That challenge was essentially laughed off by Jones, who had made clear earlier this year that he wasn’t interest in a fight with Blachowicz, or a rematch with Reyes.
Unperturbed, Blachowicz has since turned his attention to Cormier who retired this summer following his second successive defeat to Stipe Miocic in a UFC heavyweight title matchup — but Cormier made clear in his response to Blachowicz that he isn’t interested, saying that he shouldn’t be worrying about “an old retired man.”
No chance champ, congrats on a big win. You’re the man! You’re the king now, you shouldn’t worry bout what an old retired man is saying. Great job getting that title! https://t.co/9upejqah5P
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) September 29, 2020
“Hey [Daniel Cormier], if you have so much to say about me, get your fat ass off the couch and come to the Octagon. I’ll teach you some respect,” Blachowicz wrote on Twitter in response to comments made by ‘DC’ about one of his successors as 205-pound champion.
Okey, that's nice. An Internet war is over :). #ChampsRespect
— Jan Blachowicz (@JanBlachowicz) September 29, 2020
Cormier, though, certainly wasn’t taking the bait.
“No chance champ, congrats on a big win,” he replied. “You’re the man! You’re the king now, you shouldn’t worry bout what an old retired man is saying. Great job getting that title!”
Blachowicz’s first title defence remains unclear amid a light heavyweight division undergoing a period of flux but the winner of the rescheduled matchup between Thiago Santos and Glover Teixeira is understood to be near, or at, the top of the line.
