Jon Jones questions Daniel Cormier’s mental toughness after UFC 197 withdrawal

Jon Jones will return to the Octagon after more than 15 months away when he takes on Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197.

'Bones' was initially set to face Daniel Cormier, the man he defeated at UFC 182, only for his rival to withdraw through injury. At least we all thought Cormier was injured, but Jones isn't so sure. "No one's actually positive what his actual injury is, and I've heard some people say that he was hurt, and not absolutely injured," the 28-year-old told First Take. Jones also told SportsCenter interviewer Hannah Storm that Cormier - who launched a Twitter tirade at him following the withdrawal - "comes up with a lot of excuses." He added:

"He'll say things like, 'Oh, it's my first time fighting at this weight class, so I wasn't ready for the change in my body'. Or, 'it was such a big fight, I guess I was a little nervous'. Or, 'I couldn't train with Cain Velasquez, my number one training partner, so that's why I lost'. "So these are just signs that show me, you know, he's mentally reaching for answers as to why he can't beat me. To fight in my backyard in New York state, I think it would mentally be a huge disadvantage for him. I don't think he's mentally strong enough to take that type of risk."

Jon Jones faces Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 197 on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.