Jon Jones’ eye-poking fingers turned to Twitter fingers on Wednesday night. The controversial UFC interim light heavyweight champion went on a Twitter warpath, and champ Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson were caught directly in his crosshairs.
Jones has been relatively quiet on the social media front since getting yanked from a title unification bout with Cormier at UFC 200 just three days before showtime after testing positive for estrogen blockers, which may result in a two-year suspension. Jones resurfacing on Twitter wasn’t the most surprising thing about Wednesday’s rant, however. It was the fact Jones did NOT delete the posts after publishing, as he’s been known to do.
Cormier and Johnson were in Toronto Tuesday promoting their rematch at UFC 206. In a duel interview with TSN, Cormier said Jones was now “irrelevant” because he’s no longer an active fighter. Johnson said fans constantly ask him about Jones’ outside-the-cage antics as opposed to his greatness inside of it. Johnson said that nobody is perfect, but Jones’ problems outside of the cage were “amazing.”
That’s when Jones put his Twitter fingers to work:
Can't wait to get back and slap one of these light heavyweights, even on the sidelines I'm more relevant than anyone in that division.
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) October 20, 2016
You boys know when we all retire you will just be known as one of my contenders, easy for y'all to talk that shit when daddy ain't home
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) October 20, 2016
DC I'll always be that "normal guy" who worked your ass
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) October 20, 2016
And AJ you calling my out of the cage problems amazing is almost hysterical. Trying to shit on me doesn't make you look anymore like a saint
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) October 20, 2016
Don't start no shit won't be no shit
— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) October 20, 2016
It’s no secret that there’s no love lost between Cormier and Jones, so it doesn’t take much from one to set the other off. However, Jones and Johnson have been respectful to each other over the years and that’s why Jones was “taken [a]back by his comments.” That’s why Jones didn’t hesitate to spotlight the fact Johnson also has his fair share of troubles – multiple domestic violence charges, ugly shaming and yoga mat tossing.
Johnson gets the chance to avenge his 2015 submission defeat to Cormier on December 10. Jones, meanwhile, is still waiting to stand before the Nevada Athletic Commission to prove his innocence and dodge a two-year PED ban.