UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier made his feelings known about his bitter rival, heavyweight champion Jon Jones, after they appeared to settle their differences in a surfaced video.
The pair starred in one of the sport’s most heated rivalries, with Jones scoring two victories over the former Olympic wrestler.
In a video that recently circulated MMA Twitter, the pair – who now works as a UFC commentator and ESPN analyst – traded praises in a phone call with Cormier’s colleague, Jon Anik.
However, after the pleasantries, Cormier wore a sarcastic smile and flipped off the camera – as if to tell Jones how he truly feels.
‘DC, I got a question for you,’ Jones said after greeting Cormier and talking to Anik. ‘How are you doing, man? How’s life after fighting?’
Daniel Cormier flipped his bitter rival Jon Jones off after engaging in a friendly phone call
DC still HATES that man and you can tell 😂 https://t.co/9gukA8xCu0
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) June 8, 2024
Cormier chuckled and said: ‘My life is good. My life is going really well. Thank you.’
‘I just wanna say, Daniel, I’m super proud of the way life’s turned out for you, man,’ Jones continued as the camera showed Cormier looking disengaged from the conversation. ‘Congratulations with everything you got going.’
‘And your development seems to be going great too,’ Cormier responded ‘It’s very encouraging. A lot of people look up to you. So make sure you continue to do that.’
‘Yeah, I’m on it,’ said Jones. ‘Thank you. It’s good to talk to you with this energy instead of the way we usually have it.’
Their tension infamously escalated before their supposed first meeting at UFC 178 when the pair brawled during media day. While facing off, Jones and Cormier went forehead-to-forehead before the latter shoved his rival away.
Daniel Cormier says Jon Jones is eliminated from the #MMA Goat conversation because of failed drug tests. pic.twitter.com/iwVcsD6wdL
— MMA UNCENSORED (@MMAUNCENSORED1) October 2, 2023
Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones shared the Octagon twice, with the latter winning both fights
Jones scored a unanimous decision over Cormier in 2015 and a knockout in 2017
Cormier held an undefeated record before losing to Jones in their grudge match at UFC 182
Jones proceeded to grab Cormier, and chaos erupted as staffers and both camps tried to separate them.
The brawl was just a pivotal point of the long-lasting bad blood. In another scandalous interview, Cormier said he would spit on Jones’ face if they were in the same room. Jones then said he would ‘absolutely 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁’ Cormier if he did so.
Nevertheless, JBJ got the upper hand over Cormier with a unanimous decision in 2015 at UFC 182 and via knockout in 2017 at UFC 214. However, his second win over DC got overturned after Jones tested positive for turinabol.
Jones won the UFC heavyweight title in his divisional debut against Ciryl Gane in 2023
Cormier simultaneously held the UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight belts in 2018
Jones has fought and won five times since, including his heavyweight debut, in which he won the vacant title against Ciryl Gane via submission.
Jones was supposed to fight Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in November before suffering a shoulder injury that has kept him sidelined since.
Before Jones, Cormier also held heavyweight gold after beating Miocic in 2018. He defended the crown against Derrick Lewis before consecutive defeats to Miocic in their second and third fights opened the door for his retirement in 2020.
