In a recent exchange with a fan on X, Jon Jones wrote, “Stripped? Lol do I come across as the type of person who cares about things like that?” ‘Bones’ may not “care”, but the fans certainly do. Once considered MMA’s most unstoppable force, Jones has now come under fire for being the biggest holdout. Over 100,000 fans have signed a petition on Change.org demanding that the UFC and Dana White strip him of the undisputed heavyweight crown.  But one question echoes louder than all, will Daniel Cormier, his fiercest rival, stand with the crowd?

The saga to unify the belts between Jones and interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has turned from a chase into a waiting game. And people are tired of waiting. “There is a petition to strip Jon Jones,” Cormier admitted recently on his YouTube channel. Sitting beside him was Ben Askren, who quickly jabbed, “You signed it didn’t you?” Cormier smirked but denied it as he stated, “No, I didn’t.”

Still, the internet wasn’t buying it. As ‘MMA On Point’, the Instagram account that shared the above exchange captioned their post, “DC definitely signed that petition.” Whether he did or not, the fans clearly believe Cormier’s silence speaks volumes. After all, no one understands the Jones dilemma better than the former ‘champ-champ’.

So why the fuss now? Well, Jon Jones hasn’t exactly helped calm the waters. He’s fought just twice since making the move to heavyweight, beating Ciryl Gane for the vacant title at UFC 285 in 2023 and later defending it against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in late 2024. Meanwhile, Aspinall has been crushing everyone in his path, knocking out Sergei Pavlovich to become the interim champion at UFC 295 and even putting in a rare defense of an interim title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304.

Cormier still believes the fight will happen, though. His theory? Jones’s ego won’t let him walk away without facing Aspinall. On his YouTube channel, Cormier stated, “I don’t know his ego could handle that he ran from someone.” But belief and action are two different things. And fans are no longer satisfied with waiting for the saga to play out, and they have now put Daniel Cormier on the spot. Here’s a look at what they have to say!

Fans look to Daniel Cormier in hopes of getting his signature added to the petition against Jon Jones

One fan wrote, “You think I’m just gonna let you kill me Jon?”. A reference to a heated exchange between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones from their press conferences ahead of their fights. Yet, there’s seemingly a hidden concern in the comment. Many see Jones’s absence as a slow death for the heavyweight division’s momentum. And with no sign of a unification bout on the horizon, the past remark by Cormier may have become an embodiment of the MMA sphere’s growing resentment.

Another said, “He signed it.” Simple, direct, and aimed straight at Cormier. Fans think the UFC veteran turned commentator, despite denying it, secretly supports the movement. After all, who would enjoy watching Jon Jones lose his belt more than the man has been on the losing end of their famed rivalry? What do you think?

One fan claimed, “Gonna need probably 100k + signatures before Dana even looks at it”. At the time of writing, the petition sits at 129,487 signatures. But it also highlights how powerless even a massive fan movement can feel in the face of UFC politics. UFC boss Dana White has “guaranteed” the fight will happen in 2025, but that guarantee is beginning to wear thin as the signatures on the petition keep growing by the hour.

One user demanded, “Sign the f—- petition, DC.” This plea wasn’t just for a signature, it was a call to arms. Fans want Cormier to lead the charge. His voice carries weight, especially in the court of public opinion. And if he took a stand, maybe White would be forced to listen. In the statement on his YouTube channel, Cormier has even claimed, “I don’t think they’ll need to strip him, I think he’ll fight him. And even though he could walk away and go, ‘I’m the best, I don’t need to do anything else.’ The idea that he ran is going to be too strong of a pull for him as he goes into the next phase of his career.”

And finally, another fan chimed in with, “More like he started it”. The implication? Even if Cormier didn’t literally launch the petition, which was originally started by meme page ‘Tony_has_died’, he may have spiritually inspired it.

To wrap things up, Jon Jones may laugh off the petition, brushing off 100,000 voices like dust on a championship belt. But that number keeps growing, and with it, so does the noise. And while Jones remains elusive, all eyes are now fixed on Daniel Cormier. Once his greatest rival, now a respected voice in the sport, could he be the key to ending this standstill? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!