While Daniel Cormier is the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion, he's lost to Jon Jones: the true title holder. It's a bureaucratic reality that must be acknowledged. Media and fans alike can dispute this claim, but we've seen Bones and DC square off and witnessed a unanimous decision. DC struggled in his latest defense against Alexander Gustaffson, as did Jones, but mustered only a split decision win at UFC 192. Before then, DC dodged a knockout loss by the heavy-handed Anthony Johnson, coming back to submit Rumble in the second round. In DC's last two title fights, we witnessed an aging Olympian with a limited shelf life. While DC deserves to be champion, showcasing immense heart and skill, he has yet to surpass the dominant benchmark set by Jon Jones. Currently the light heavyweight division is in turmoil, leaving few challengers to elevate DC. The top ranked fighters are easily interchangeable and most have already been beaten by Jones. Saving Anthony Johnson and Ovince St. Preux, DC and Jon Jones have collectively cleared out the division of new interesting matchups. DC requires the Jones rematch to prove his longevity as champion. It's not a knock on DC's accomplishments, but an unfortunate fact to see if the AKA captain has a promising future. It was never Jon Jones' dominance that validated his prodigal mettle, but the way he's evolved. Jones outstruck and outwrestled a mentor in Rashad Evans, dropped and choked out Lyoto Machida, and ragdolled Chael Sonnen (albeit undersized) with a broken toe. It wasn't until the last few years, now known to be quite tumultuous, that Jones faltered. On the other hand, DC has mostly stuck to his bread and butter, muscling forward with strikes and utilizing his wrestling pedigree to take advantage of wrestling scrambles. He's exhibited some adaptability, but at 36 there's limited expectations for a drastic evolution. However, Jones was always already a proficient fighter with unlimited potential to be tapped -- we know Bones will only get better, whereas Father Time dictates DC's inevitable decline. And in the last year, champion or not, DC has yet to prove he's better than Jon Jones.
