When Daniel Cormier faces Anthony "Rumble" Johnson for the light heavyweight title at UFC 187 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, the third man in the cage isn't the referee.
Jon Jones wore that belt for the previous four years until his incredible mixed martial arts career was interrupted by his latest embarrassment outside the octagon.
He was suspended and stripped of his title last month after police say he left the scene of a car crash. Cormier (15-1) took his place against Johnson (19-4) in a fight to fill the vacancy.
Although their bout is a compelling stylistic matchup between two charismatic wrestlers with mutual respect, Cormier and Johnson realize this title fight carries an enormous asterisk to many fans.
"It does get a little annoying, because it's like people aren't showing the respect Daniel and I deserve," Johnson said. "It's almost like they see us like some chumps or something like that, you know what I mean? We didn't make Jon do what he did. That was his own doing. We are top of the food chain right now. ... In my eyes and in my heart, whoever wins this title isn't the paper champ. We are the absolute champion of the weight class."
Cormier and Johnson are the new headliners of the UFC's stacked Memorial Day weekend show in its hometown at the MGM Grand Garden. The card is topped by two title fights, with middleweight champion Chris Weidman also making his long-delayed defense against Brazil's Vitor Belfort.
The UFC took away Jones' belt after police say he broke a pregnant woman's arm and then fled the crash in New Mexico, resulting in his arrest on felony charges. Jones has made several serious mistakes outside the cage during his UFC career, including another arrest for driving misadventures in 2012 and an admission of a positive test for cocaine late last year, but they hadn't slowed his rise to become arguably the sport's most dominant fighter.
Cormier already fought Jones in January after a contentious promotional campaign for their bout that left him with "the energy just drained out of me." The former U.S. Olympic wrestler thought his title chances had vanished after Jones won a clear decision, handing Cormier his first career loss.
Instead, Jones' banishment created a second chance, and Cormier won't apologize for taking it. Cormier took the fight with Johnson on three weeks' notice, although he already was in training camp for a bout next month.
"The thing for me and Anthony to do is hold that belt high, and be proud of the accomplishment," Cormier said. "Because there are so many people in the world that will never, ever reach that level."
Johnson made his own remarkable comeback to earn his first UFC title shot. He hasn't lost in nine bouts since January 2012, but he began that streak at a nadir: He missed the middleweight limit by 11 pounds for a bout against Belfort, and then got choked out in the first round.
Johnson was released by the UFC after the debacle, and he fought in three smaller promotions before earning a return in February 2014. He won three more UFC fights, capped by a stunning first-round stoppage of former title contender Alexander Gustafsson last January in Sweden.
"People get second chances in life, and this is (Cormier's) second chance, just like it's my second chance in life when I returned to the UFC," Johnson said. "You see what happened (for) me, starting from the bottom and basically working my way to the top. Well, D.C. was already at the top, and he didn't get to reach his goal. Now he has another chance, and it's just going to be a tougher fight."
Johnson has swaggered into the title hunt with six stoppages in his last eight fights, but he insists Cormier is a tougher matchup for him than Jones, citing Cormier's punching power and wrestling skill. The 5-foot-11 Cormier was a remarkably successful heavyweight until moving down to 205 pounds last year.
"We see the grinder, you know what I'm saying?" Johnson said. "He brings it, and this is a second chance, so I know he's going to bring it even more. I think is a good thing for everybody at the end of the day, because you have two guys that are hungry to get the belt."
Cormier, Johnson Fight for Jon Jones' Former Belt at UFC 187
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