Daniel Cormier isn’t quite sure where he stands with Jon Jones.
A Rivalry For The Ages
The pair of two-division UFC Champions had one of the greatest rivalries the sport has ever seen. Cormier and Jones have been at each other’s necks since 2014 and first collided inside the Octagon in 2015. Jones might have defeated DC by unanimous decision at UFC 182, but their rivalry was far from over at that point.
The bad blood between Cormier and Jones lasted for years and that would be in full-effect in their rematch at UFC 214, where Jones TKO’ed Cormier in the fourth round (it was later turned to a no-contest because of a positive drug test from Jones).
The beef has died down in recent years, so much so that Cormier would commentate Jones’ heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285. While they have buried the hatchet to some degree, Jones didn’t appreciate DC’s mild reaction to him submitting Gane.
My man couldn’t even pretend to smile, it was pretty funny. Asking what happened, an experience former champion and analyst suddenly not being able to identify a guillotine. 😌 https://t.co/dgqcqdCO34
— BONY (@JonnyBones) March 9, 2023
Cormier Says He Wasn’t Mad That Jones Won At UFC 285
DC responded to his old rival’s criticism, citing he could not see how the fight ended from his cageside point of view.
“I wasn’t mad though,” Cormier told Henry Cejudo. “Like everybody’s acting like I was mad that he won. When he was finishing Ciryl, his back was to me and my reaction was the same reaction as Rogan. But, because of our history, it is like, ‘oh, DC’s mad’. And then [Jones] says, ‘dude couldn’t even force a smile’. That tells you he’s ready, but he’s not quite ready, so we don’t need to force him. He’s ready, but he’s not quite ready yet.”
‘There’s Good In That Dude’
Talking to DC about Jones, Henry Cejudo said he was able to become friends with former foe Demetrious Johnson. Obviously for Cormier and Jones, it’s a totally different story. Nevertheless, DC can see some good in ‘Bones’ even after all of their messy history.
“That’s where the difference between you and Demetrious [was],” Cormier continued. “We talked about each other’s families, but in the darkest moments, when his mother passed, when my father passed, he sent me a message. He really did. And even in that moment, I appreciated that for all that we’ve been through. I appreciated him sending me that message as I sent the message for his mother, because we understand what family is.
“There’s good in that dude. There really is. There’s good in that dude. I just ain’t really had the opportunity to see it. But we’ll see. We’ll see what time brings. And if the time brings it, then yeah, we’ll make sure that you’re around to help. You better [help], if we start fighting with each other. You just better be okay to f*cking stop it. I don’t think you can stop it [laughs].
“But there is good in that dude,” he added. “You gotta just be able to get to it.”
‘We Had Something Special’
Along with seeing the goodness in his former adversary, DC appreciates what Jones did for his career. They both rose up to new levels of stardom because of how big their fights were.
“I would not have much of what I have without him,” Cormier said of Jones. “Really, like he elevated my star to levels because our rivalry was so bad. It was so intense and it was so desired by people. People were rabid, like for me and Jones to the point that now at 44 years old people go, ‘DC one more [fight]’. I’m like, no, I’m 44 years old. But, that is what happens when something that matters lasts.
“But that is what happens when you give something to people that they still pine for after all these years. And it was only because of what we were to each other. But I will also say that there’s never been a time where he’s done better than with me. We’ve both done our best numbers together. It is what it is. Because we had something special. We’re business partners.”
Never Say Never
Despite having ‘something special’, Daniel Cormier doesn’t think he and Jones are ready to ‘break bread’ just yet, but maybe in time.
“But I think that right now for us to [sit down together]— I think Jones and I being on the phone like we were for the fighting meeting and then not yelling and cussing and hurling insults at each other, that’s a positive step. In that positive step, that’s enough, because I don’t really have anything to release. I’ve moved on.
“We never know what time brings, but when it does, we’ll do it on your YouTube channel, not mine.”
