If only Daniel Cormier had a time machine. He could have gone back and fixed the gravest anomaly in his resume—the loss to Jon Jones. Had he won, would the rivalry between two of the UFC’s greatest fighters have been more subdued than pronounced as it stands now? While their rematch became a no-contest, Cormier remains eager to even the score. His latest call-out to Jones to wrestle it out in the RAF underscores the depth of their rivalry. Yet not many appear to share his enthusiasm. The thought of the legends squaring up one last time may excite some, but others, like Israel ‘Izzy’ Martinez, believe that even if Cormier were to meet Jones on a mat, the outcome would remain the same – a victory for Jones.

“Daniel Cormier hasn’t beaten Jon. I don’t think he can beat Jon at anything,” Martinez told MMA Junkie Radio. “He needs to beat him at something, and the next best thing that he’s ever been able to do is wrestle. So that’s always been the sh-t talk.”

Martinez is the current Chief Operating Officer at the fast-growing wrestling franchise Real American Freestyle (RAF). In his previous stint as a wrestling coach, he has cornered Jon Jones for the two Cormier fights, and his remarks came in response to Cormier’s comments at RAF’s 5th edition in Sunrise, Florida.

“I’d wrestle the right guy,” Cormier had stated. “I’d wrestle Jon Jones. I’m not wrestling Yoel Romero, bro. I wouldn’t wrestle Yoel. He’s still good, man! He’s insanely good. I’m not wrestling him. I’d wrestle someone like Jon Jones or somebody.”

Even last month, the UFC dual champion furthered the notion that if they were to wrestle, he’d beat Jon Jones “10-0.” Martinez, however, sees it differently.

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He has the utmost respect for Daniel Cormier. He also acknowledged a clear reality. DC has never beaten Jon Jones in a competitive fight. If Cormier were to beat Jon at something, wrestling would be the most realistic area, because in MMA, Jon has dominated, but wrestling is a skill where Cormier could potentially have an advantage.

Yet, in his view, that scenario still remains a “dream.”

Daniel Cormier vs. Jon Jones III: If they fight again, expect the script to stay the same

“Even when I was telling Hulk Hogan,” Martinez said. “One day it would be a hell of a dream because Daniel Cormier would actually think he’s going to come out here and kill Jon, and Jon will shock him again, and the wrestling world will go crazy.”

According to Martinez, Jones enjoys staying ahead in the mental game and seems content with his life, family, and achievements. He’s not especially interested in training hard just to wrestle Cormier.

For Daniel Cormier, the veteran trainer and RAF co-founder’s comments could serve as a sharp reality check. His intentions may be forthright – to level the score, which now stands tilted in Jones’ favor by 1–0. It would have been 2–0 had Jones’ 2017 victory not been overturned after he tested positive for banned substances.

Few believe Cormier would be able to reverse the dynamic, despite being a three-time Louisiana state high school champion, a two-time junior college champion, and an NCAA All-American. If he couldn’t do it in his prime, the chances of him being able to beat Jon Jones when he’s on the wrong side of his 40s and well beyond his competitive peak are slim to none.

As Martinez noted, even if DC has the technical edge in pure wrestling, Jon’s combination of physical attributes, adaptability, mental game, and unorthodox style gives him a real chance to “shock” DC once again.