Daniel Cormier faced a tense moment while filming a Russian reality show that nearly made him leave.
Cormier was coaching alongside Jon Jones on ALF MMA. The show is known for intense competition, but one recent incident went far beyond normal limits.
During filming, two fighters with past issues met and immediately started fighting. The situation quickly grew as more people joined in, creating a chaotic scene.
At one point, a fighter named Sergei, who had just been struck, ran toward a kitchen area and tried to grab a knife. That moment raised serious concern for everyone present.
What Cormier Saw
Cormier explained how things escalated very fast and why it stood out compared to earlier moments.
“We’ve seen a few fights since we’ve been here, and this was by far the biggest fight,” he said. “… Eventually, Sergei’s so mad, because now he has a cut under his chin, that he runs into the kitchen, and he wants to grab a knife. Because all he’s thinking about now is protecting himself. It was very intense.”
Reaction from Jon Jones
Jones also shared his view of the situation and how dangerous it felt.
“It was really one of the most intense moments that I personally have seen, being a part of this show for two seasons now,” Jones said. “Sergei went to grab that knife and scared the shit out of everybody. Daniel Cormier, one of his assistants was really close to the situation, our female translator had to grab the knife from one of the guys. It was really intense, and I think for the first time, everybody on set kind of felt really unsafe.”
Cormier Thinks About Leaving
As the chaos continued, Cormier spoke with his team and seriously considered leaving the show.
“I think we’re gonna go home,” he said. “I might give them their money back and stay home. I can’t do this shit. It’s too much. Somebody’s going to get hurt bad. Like, bad. Somebody’s going to get hurt really bad.”
He then described more of what he saw during the incident.
“I didn’t know it was like this. It’s really bad. This guy got hit in the face when he wasn’t paying attention. The guy with the broken face, he was sitting there, and somebody hit him on the side of the face. Now, they’re fighting outside.”
Cormier made it clear that the situation felt out of control.
“Hey man, I don’t know if I can do this. Tell them this is too much. I might not be able to do this. Go back money, and I’ll go [to] America. This is crazy, bro. Knife, everything. The guy got hit in the face. I don’t mind if they start fighting a little bit, but this is crazy here. Bottles flying everywhere, over there’s crazy. Somebody’s going to get hurt.”
Daniel Cormier nearly left the Russian TUF reality series after someone tried grabbing a knife, but Jon Jones convinced him to stay 😳
“Nothing on this show is worth losing your life. When I see things like knives, I personally don’t wanna be here.”
(via ALF Global) pic.twitter.com/lkLP8Wbn5h
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 17, 2026
Effort to Calm Things Down
Jones later spoke to the group and tried to bring things under control. He reminded everyone that safety comes first and that the show could not continue if situations like this kept happening.
“Right now, one of our coaches is debating on staying,” Jones said. “At the end of the day, Daniel Cormier is a big star in America. He’s a father, he’s a coach. It’s his responsibility to make sure that his team is safe while they’re out here.”
He also warned about the risks if the behavior continued.
“At the end of the day, this competition, we’re all on the same team. I know you guys have real conflicts, but ultimately, our goal is to make good TV. If we lose one of our coaches, we can’t make good TV. The fighting, the violence, it’s a lot of fun. But nothing on this show is worth losing your life, whether that’s in the ground or in jail. I understand how Daniel feels, because when I see things like knives, I personally don’t want to be here either. So guys, please don’t make it hard for myself or Daniel by making this show life-threatening.”
After some time, the situation settled and no further escalation took place.
Even though Cormier came close to leaving, he decided to stay and continue filming. The moment, however, showed how quickly things can turn serious when emotions rise outside of the cage.
