Cormier Denies Jones' Claim Their Beef Is Fake

Daniel Cormier rejected Jon Jones' recent assertion that their longtime rivalry is now manufactured for profit, pointing to video evidence that contradicts his former opponent's account.

Jones claimed in a recent interview that Cormier admitted during filming of ALF Reality in Thailand earlier this year that he maintains their feud purely for financial reasons. "He said, 'Jon, being your enemy has made me too much money over the years,'" Jones recalled, per MMA Mania. "'So even though I have no problem with you, when the cameras turn on I can never be your friend.'"

Cormier Calls Out Jones Over Thailand Video

Cormier responded by surfacing older footage from the same Thailand shoot that shows Jones calling him a "stuffy dickhead asshole." He questioned how someone goes from that to claiming they want a cordial relationship. "This is not a conversation that Jon and I had," Cormier said in a video response.

The former two-division champion acknowledged the rivalry has been lucrative for both men, comparing it to Ali-Frazier and McGregor-Khabib. He clarified that moneymaking does not equal fabrication. Cormier said the temperature between them has cooled enough to operate in the same space but added the history of bitter exchanges does not disappear. "Nasty, nasty things about each other, [it] doesn't just go away unless you're crazy," he said. "And I think Jon's crazy."

Jones beat Cormier twice during their active rivalry, though one victory was later overturned to a No Contest following a failed drug test. The two served as opposing coaches on the Russian reality series ALF Reality, a format similar to The Ultimate Fighter.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Daniel Cormier denies his beef with Jon Jones is fake: ‘I think Jon’s crazy’