The rivalry between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier received a jolt of energy when the former called out the latter after he had won the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 232.

Bones successfully obtained the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight title when he defeated Alexander Gustafsson with a third-round knockout at UFC 232 last month. He then called out DC in his post-fight interview.

Since then, many UFC fans have been wondering if Jones and Cormier will meet inside the Octagon for the third time in their careers.

DC reflected on Bones' win against Gustafsson last week with Luke Thomas on The MMA Hour, via MMA Fighting, stating that he was impressed by the new Light Heavyweight Champion's work.

When asked if Jones would be as successful as he is today if he hadn't taken performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), Cormier gave what some might deem a surprising response. He believes Bones would've been just as successful without PEDs.

He said: “If you’re asking me if I feel Jon Jones would’ve worn a UFC title without any of these things (PEDs), I do, 100 percent, believe he would’ve won a UFC title.

“I think that he’s a very talented guy. He comes from the sport of wrestling, so he has that baseline for dictating where fights take place. With that being said, those things are done for a reason, right?

"You don’t have all these issues with the testing unless you have either doubts or something in your preparation over the course of your athletic career didn’t truly add up. That’s the only way you would get these types of things tied to your career.

“But do I feel the guy would’ve been successful without it? Yes, I do. I think he definitely would’ve been a UFC champion, and even without all this stuff that’s tied to the fights, I think he could’ve won those fights to me anyways.

"I think he’s a very talented guy. And I still believe I could beat the guy, even though I’ve lost a couple times, but again, I think that’s what makes me different, is that regardless of — every time I walked on that mat against Cael Sanderson, losing every time, I still felt that every time I went out there: ‘This is the one I’m going to win.’

"I never didn’t give myself a chance, and that’s how I feel with Jones.”

Jones and Cormier have faced each other twice, at UFC 182 and UFC 214, with Bones winning on both occasions. However, the second fight was overturned to a no contest after Jones tested positive for Turinabol.