Cormier Fires Back At Jones Over Feud Claims

Daniel Cormier rejected Jon Jones's recent claim that the former heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight champion kept their feud going purely for money.

Jones raised eyebrows when he said Cormier told him on the set of ALF Reality 3 in Thailand that he had "made too much money" hating Jones to bury the hatchet, per a BJ Penn story published Tuesday. The comment led some fans to wonder whether their legendary rivalry had been exaggerated for promotional purposes.

Cormier Denies Jones's Version of Thailand Conversation

Cormier addressed the controversy in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel. "That just didn't happen," he said, according to the report. "It wasn't a conversation that Jon and I had." The UFC Hall of Famer acknowledged that both men earned significant paydays because of their rivalry, comparing it to Ali-Frazier and McGregor-Khabib, but insisted the animosity was never manufactured. "Jon Jones, I do still hate you, and I always will," Cormier continued. "We said nasty things about each other and each other's families, and that doesn't just go away."

Cormier and Jones fought twice at heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight, with Jones winning both bouts before the second result was overturned to a no-contest following a positive drug test. The two appeared together on ALF Reality 3 earlier this year, a spinoff of The Ultimate Fighter filmed in Thailand, where some cordiality reportedly emerged between them despite tense moments during taping.

Jones currently holds the UFC heavyweight title and has not announced his next fight. Cormier retired from competition in 2020.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Daniel Cormier calls out Jon Jones for ‘lying’ about reason for continuing feud