The Herd with Colin Cowherd

The Daniel Cormier Show - DC says Jon Jones HAS NOTHING LEFT after revealing severe arthritis, Gaethje-Topuria

13 min
Feb 11, 20264 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Daniel Cormier discusses Jon Jones's recent revelation of severe arthritis and questions whether Jones deliberately leaked the information through Meta glasses footage. Cormier analyzes Jones's physical decline, predicts his imminent retirement from MMA, and discusses the upcoming Gaethje-Topuria fight at the White House.

Insights
  • Jones likely orchestrated the arthritis leak intentionally through an influencer rather than being unknowingly recorded, based on Cormier's experience with public visibility and Meta glasses' visible recording indicators
  • Physical decline in elite athletes can be observed through subtle behavioral changes like altered running mechanics and reduced athletic performance in casual settings
  • The Gaethje-Topuria White House fight makes strategic sense for the UFC as it features an American title holder competing at a prestigious venue during July 4th weekend
  • A generation of elite MMA fighters is reaching the end of their careers simultaneously, with Jones likely to be the last of his cohort to retire
  • Sustained combat sports careers with heavy emphasis on wrestling, kicks, and elbows create cumulative joint damage that eventually forces retirement regardless of skill level
Trends
Meta glasses and wearable recording technology creating unintended privacy breaches in public spaces and celebrity encountersStrategic information leaks by high-profile athletes to control narrative around injuries and career decisionsGenerational turnover in elite MMA with aging fighters showing visible physical decline despite competitive historyWhite House events becoming premium venues for major sports matchups, elevating event prestige and cultural significanceCumulative joint damage from combat sports becoming a career-limiting factor even for elite athletes with superior genetics
Topics
Jon Jones arthritis diagnosis and career longevityMeta glasses privacy concerns and unintended recordingMMA fighter physical decline and agingGaethje vs Topuria White House fight announcementCombat sports cumulative injury impactStrategic athlete information managementGeneration transition in elite MMAUFC title holder American representationCelebrity public visibility and recording awarenessHip surgery and athletic performance
Companies
UFC
Primary subject of discussion regarding fighter matchups, title fights, and event scheduling at the White House
Meta
Meta glasses technology used to secretly record Jon Jones without his knowledge, sparking privacy discussion
ESPN
Michael Lee works for ESPN and was referenced regarding analysis of Jon Jones's athletic performance
People
Jon Jones
UFC fighter revealed to have severe arthritis; Cormier analyzes his physical decline and predicts imminent retirement
Daniel Cormier
Podcast host and former UFC fighter discussing Jones's condition and his own fighting experience at advanced ages
Justin Gaethje
UFC fighter scheduled to compete against Topuria at White House event during July 4th weekend
Ilya Topuria
UFC fighter scheduled to face Gaethje at White House event; represents international challenger to American title holder
Paddy Pimblett
UFC fighter previously scheduled to fight Gaethje before losing, which altered the title fight trajectory
Michael Lee
ESPN employee referenced for analysis of Jon Jones's running mechanics and athletic performance decline
Quotes
"I think that John Jones knew what he was doing. I think that he wanted people to know what he's injured. And I think that's exactly the way that he wanted it to happen by giving it to an influencer."
Daniel Cormier
"There will be no wrestling match between him and I because if that's him, right, in athletics, it would be too hard for him to compete in the wrestling match."
Daniel Cormier
"I don't think you're going to have him much longer in this sport because I don't think the guys' bodies are going to hold up."
Daniel Cormier
"It's a sad thing because in real time you could see him starting to come to accept that all those days are over."
Daniel Cormier
Full Transcript
This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. The Volume. Okay guys, so the Super Bowl just happened. But our good friends at Hard Rock Bet wants to remind you that you can double your winnings on your first ten bets, on the NBA, on the MMA, on all the other sports. So while we might be a little bit sad that the football season ended, Hard Rock Bet's like, come on guys, we can still cash in. So in your first ten bets, you can double your winnings when you sign up. So all you got to do, download the app, Hard Rock Bet app, and go and double those winnings on those first ten bets. There are so many sports. Don't be boo-hoo-ing because the football season is over. Payable and bonus bets is not a cash offer. Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Florida. Payable by Seminole Heart Rock Digital LLC in all other states. You must be 21 or older and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida. Call 1-888-AD-M-I-T-I-T in Indiana. If you are someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help. Call 1-800-9 with it. And if you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-Gamberler. Get it, you all! Call the weather for the day! Guys, I was in Sydney and I played golf and looked. Please excuse this. I guess I didn't know black people could like peel and stuff like that from the sun, but I guess it's possible because I'm all messed up right now. That is so crazy. Hey, what's up guys? Welcome back to Daniel Cormiere. The Daniel Cormiere Show. My episode today is brought to you by Total Wireless, the official wireless provider of UFC. They're in your corner with unlimited 5G data that will not slow you down. Now that's a total power move. But I mean, look at my head. I've been peeling this off for days. I guess the UV rays are crazy in Australia. So I was playing golf for multiple days without a hat. I promised to never do that again. Maybe I'll listen to Chris, the makeup lady from the UFC. She kept warning me, but I would not listen. Why am I here? Okay, so first off, I was saying that I would wrestle Jones in RAF. Stay tuned because if he steps on that line, I'm taking this due 10-0. People jumped on that. Obviously, we did that reality show together. People seeing us together gave him the idea that we might compete. Well, John came out recently and said he is up for a hip surgery already. He might be done. There's a lot of news surrounding John Jones right now. Some of the news would seem to have come to us when it wasn't intended to come because there was a kid that was talking to Jones at a bare knuckle fighting organizational event. And he asked John a question. John answered the question, but John was unaware of the kid wearing metaglasses. Now the metaglasses is a big thing right now. It was in Los Angeles, one of my coaches. He wears metaglasses. First off, wearing the metaglasses, they aren't unrecognizable. They don't look like the general shades, like glasses. You can tell that there's something there's a little different. John said the kid filmed him without his knowledge. It is true. I do have arthritis. And the kid that leaked that was an absolute asshole. I would stop and say some guys in confidential. He had one of those metaglasses on like myself and he ended up posting that. That wasn't for everybody to hear. Here's where I have a little bit of an issue with the statement. While I believe his intention may have been for him not to be recording him, it's very easy to tell if you're being recorded with the metaglasses. It's hard to hide that you're being recorded with metaglasses if you're in close proximity with the person that is using the glasses. Now if I am 50 yards away from you and I'm recording you, okay, you may not be able to tell. But if I'm two to three feet away like the kid was, they got like a white light on the side of the glasses. The moment they start recording, the moment they start recording, they press that button, there's a white light on the side of those glasses that tells you that they are recording. How could you have missed that? It's hard to not be aware in no situations when you've lived a lifetime in the public eye. When you've been in the public eye, you build this almost six cents as to when people are recording you. I saw a video of a kid the other day at a restaurant tournament. The kid said he was hoping to get a photo with me. His mom was hoping to get a photo with me. They were recording me coaching, right? While I didn't necessarily see it, I peeked back and I saw a lady holding the phone and my son also saw it. He goes, these people are recording you from the back because when you're around or in the public spotlight, the people around you even build a way to figure out that you're being recorded. It's just the way it is. Now I saw a video. It looked like I kind of glanced at the kid, spoke to the kid, maybe he missed it, given them the benefit of the doubtful for the vet. But to be honest, men, it's hard not to know that you're on video. So I believe that information like that, that if it's that close to the vest, you don't share it with a random either. I don't know that I don't know that anything he does isn't intended to be taken in the way that it's taken. It feels like everything he does has a purpose. So I don't believe it. And I don't think you should because I don't think that he was unaware of the video. I think that John Jones knew what he was doing. I think that he wanted people to know what he's injured. And I think that's exactly the way that he wanted it to happen by giving it to an influencer. And that influencer didn't put it on the internet. And then he could feign ignorance and go, oh my God, I got caught. Not true. I've long said that I didn't think that John Jones is a great athlete. I've said that for a long time. And then it was almost further whenever we were in that event that we just did. But I think for the first time, I actually believe that he might have some true issues with his hips because I was watching him play football at that celebrity thing. And when the white Howard ran past him, there's no way. There's no way that he was actually trying in the white Howard was able to go past him like that. And then he was running in the way that he was running. Michael Lee's works for ESPN and he will wait. Is that really how he runs on the Instagram story? I believe John Jones is hurt. And I believe John Jones really is dealing with sustain, with injuries from a long sustained career in combat sports where knees and elbows and kicks were such a massive part of his game, the wrestling. I mean, sports for a young age takes a toll on the body to anyone, to anyone. I truly believe that that was the video that made me believe that John Jones doesn't have anything left in that regard. There will be no wrestling match between him and I because if that's him, right, in athletics, it would be too hard for him to compete in the wrestling match. His body will not hold up in the training to prepare for wrestling match. So I think that people should now start to get ready for a day when they don't have Jones in fighting. I don't think you're going to have him much longer in this sport because I don't think the guys' bodies are going to hold up. It's a sad thing because in real time you could see him starting to come to accept that all those days are over. I fought that dude at 36 and 38 years old and I felt great physically and mentally going into both. But if I had to fight him at 38, 39 and 40 or 40 years old, I don't know if I would have felt the way I did. And in real time, we're watching him come to the acceptance that it's old. You can see it. You can see him going, accepting you might be done. But watching him run, I don't know if it was the powerlifting or other things, but something did something to his body where it seems like it's taken a massive toll on John Jones and his ability to compete. So once he's done that whole generation of fighters might be done, everybody's gone. All those great guys are gone and he's one of the ones that is left and he was the super young guy that was fighting all of us and everybody's done except for Jones and it seems like that day is coming for him to be done too. It feels like Justin Gaich is going to fight Ilya Taporia at the White House. I feel like that's the right fight to make. Where does it sit on the cart? I don't know, but it feels like that's a massive fight that is worthy of being on such a massive cart. And with Taporia being who he is, with Gaichy being who he is, an American guy holding a UFC title. Look, the UFC book, Paddy Pimla versus Justin Gaichy. And Pimla won, you had a star that was going to go fight Ilya for the belt. Justin Gaichy won, now you have an American guy holding a portion of a title with a fight at the White House that is going to happen in June around 4th of July weekend. It was a no-no-situation and now, honestly, I don't know how he missed it. Everybody's like, well, why isn't this due to why isn't, why isn't, why isn't, why isn't, why isn't, why isn't, why isn't, why isn't, why isn't, why isn't, why isn't, now, kind of, makes sense, because not that Gaichy has the belt, you got an American guy holding an American, a title, going into the White House. It worked, it worked one way or the other, so now it makes more sense to me. Guys, I love and appreciate everyone who you support me always, thank you, keep supporting the channel, it's growing at a crazy rate and it's all thanks to you. So like, subscribe, tell your friends to tell their friends about DC's YouTube channel. It never missed an episode, so set those reminders, but look at my head, that is crazy. How do I get this off? Because somebody tell me in the comments, how am I supposed to get my head back to normal? Do I go like and get like a scrub or something? Please, guys, help me until next time. Peace. This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human.