Many fans and analysts alike believe that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones will have proved everything he needs to at 205 pounds if he beat Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 on Saturday.
However, some still believe he has stiff tests ahead in the former of either/or Glover Teixeira and Daniel Cormier.
Jones fight ripped Cormier in a recent interview with MMA Fighting, claiming the unbeaten fighter has no name recognition among fans:
"To be honest with you, I don't think Daniel Cormier really deserves a big fight," Jones said. "I don't respect him as a person. I think fighting me would be an opportunity of a lifetime for him. I don't think I have much to gain from beating Daniel Cormier because no one knows who he is, and he hasn't really proved much."
Despite a 12-0 record as a professional mixed martial artist, “DC” is yet to become a household name for MMA fans.
He made his Octagon debut at UFC on FOX 7, winning a clear-cut, albeit heavily criticized, unanimous decision over ex-UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir.
Cormier has also never fought at light heavyweight, though he has recently posted pictures of his weight loss on social media, so he is likely gearing up for a showdown with Jones as long as he beats Roy Nelson at UFC 166 next month.
“Bones” was more respectful when addressing Teixeira, but still doesn’t think he’s ready for a crack at UFC gold:
"I thought he showed signs of being a high-level fighter," Jones said in the same interview. "I don't think he's ready to beat me. I thought he showed signs, being punched that hard by Bader shows me where he's at. No matter what your excuse is, it still happened.”
Teixeira has won an incredible 20 bouts in a row, including a 5-0 mark inside the Octagon.
However, Jones is unimpressed by the fact that the Brazilian slugger was dropped by Bader in their UFC Fight Night 28 encounter earlier this month, even though Teixeira came back to KO the former Ultimate Fighter winner.
Jones fought Bader at UFC 126 in February 2011, tapping the fellow accomplished wrestler with a guillotine choke in the second round.