Johnson: Jones can sit back and wait while DC and I fight at MSG

Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson crushed Glover Teixeira Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC 202. UFC color commentator Joe Rogan asked him in the Octagon what was next, and Johnson respectfully pointed to UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, who was sitting cageside.

Cormier accepted. Johnson even has a date picked out, UFC 202 on Nov. 12 in the UFC’s triumphant return to New York.

However, interim division champion Jon Jones, who recently failed a drug test, may not have knowingly taken anything. Jones could conceivably be back soon. However, at the UFC 202’s post-fight media scrum, Johnson was not concerned.

“Not at all,” said Johnson, as transcribed by Shaun Al-Shatti for MMA Fighting. “Daniel is beyond that. I’m beyond it. Daniel wants to fight me and I want to fight him. As far as Jon, he can sit back and wait. That’s just what it is right now. That’s nothing against him, but that’s just what’s going to happen.”

Cormier won their first fight at UFC 187 on May 23, 2015, for the title vacated by Jon Jones’ gross indiscretions. However, Johnson has been on a tear since, scoring three Performance of the Night winning KOs in a row, and anticipates a respectful fight.

“A lot different,” said Johnson. “DC is a hell of a champion. It’s an honor to fight him again. I’m looking forward to it.

“Daniel took a hell of a shot [from me in the first] and just, he took it like a man. I was very surprised that he got back up, because usually I hit you one time and you drop and you don’t get back up unless somebody is helping you up. But Daniel popped right back up and kept moving, so hopefully I don’t get as frustrated next time and I just keep landing big shots on him and eventually put him out.”

“I want to be a part of history in New York, man. I really want to fight in Madison Square Garden. That’s where all of the legends of fighting, not mixed martial arts but just fighting in general, Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, all of the greats have fought there, so I want to be a part of that history.”

“This is something that I’ve wanted for a long time. I only want to compete against the best, and so far, since I’ve been back in the UFC, that’s what I’ve been doing. This is my second chance at a title, so I really want to go out there and just, I want to dominate. Daniel, he said that when we’re in the cage it’s Daniel Time or something like that, which is fine. It can be Daniel Time. But at the end of the night, it’s going to be my time.”

Jones, a New York native, is also going to desperately want on the card, if he can get licensed to fight. So there may be a fight to fight developing.