“Every ounce of training you put in leading up to this fight will be a waste of your life.” This is how Jon Jones warned Daniel Cormier before UFC 182 in 2015. Well, Jones won the fight, but the rivals fought once again at UFC 214 in 2017, which was unfortunately ruled as no contest by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) as ‘Bones’ tested positive for a substance. Their rivalry was one of the biggest and while Jones is still competing and Cormier is now a commentator, their run-ins are surely awkward, right?

Take UFC 285 as an example. Jones made his heavyweight debut against Ciryl Gane, but who were the commentators? That’s right! It was Daniel Cormier, along with Joe Rogan and Jon Anik. In fact, the fighter had stated that he was okay with having his biggest rival give commentary while he threw punches in the octagon.

Now in a new discussion with Ben Askren, Cormier made some revelations on his YouTube channel. Recalling the upcoming UFC 309 announcement at UFC 306, he stated, “Michael Chandler was announced to be fighting Charles Oliveira in a rematch. Jon Jones was in the arena on Saturday then, so as it always happens. I’m sitting there doing my job. Guess who always comes up to say hi?” On cue, Askren answered, “Jon.”

Askren started laughing at a distraught Cormier. The former champ said, “I can’t stop it! It happens every time.” Ben Askren asked him if they were friends but Cormier at once clarified, “We are not buddies, just I don’t like; we are not buddies. We don’t talk. But every time it’s like up in a situation where you shaking hands.”

Well, it couldn’t have been avoided. After all, Jon Jones will be facing Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.

The event will take place on November 16 at Madison Square Garden and it will make Jones’s first title defense as the heavyweight champion.

He hasn’t fought since his clash with Gane. A painful pectoral injury pushed him to pull out of UFC 295, where he was supposed to face Miocic. Fans hope their November bout doesn’t suffer a similar end. It would be interesting to see if Daniel Cormier will be chosen as a commentator considering he has history not only with Jones but also with Miocic.

Let us not forget that ‘DC’ faced Miocic thrice- UFC 226, UFC 241 and UFC 252. Though Cormier won the first fight, the next two were in Miocic’s favor. So ‘DC’ knows what it is like to face either of them. Plus, it would be interesting to see them all together.

However, it seems Cormier and Jones have sorted out their issues. This also reminds us of how a few weeks before UFC 214 in 2017, when Jones’ mother Camille passed away, Cormier sent out a heartfelt message to his rival and his family. This gentlemanly gesture was reciprocated by Jones two years later when Cormier lost his father to cancer.

Years later, ‘Bones’ had even talked about the possibility of being friends with Cormier. He shared on ‘Unlocking the Cage with Jimmy Smith’ in 2023, “People try to make Daniel and I out to be these absolute archenemies. If you look at competitive athletes throughout history, they all come around. Mike Tyson and (Evander) Holyfield, they all come around. It’s just competition. Outside of the sport, I have no ill will toward Daniel. I think he’s a very stand-up individual, and I think we’d make great friends if we were ever to sit down in front of each other and just chat it out.”

When Daniel Cormier came to Jon Jones’ rescue!

In July 2024, Jon Jones was charged with two counts of a misdemeanor for threatening to harm officials who had come for DFSI testing in his house. He was charged with assault and interference with communications. 

This nightmarish affair might be fresh in your mind even though it happened months ago. On March 30, during the wee hours of the morning, Jones was hanging out in his New Mexico home enjoying drinks with a friend. That is when there was a knock on the door and two PED testing officials from the UFC in-house agency had come to test him.

He did everything as per protocol. However, when he was asked for a urine sample, the fighter was unable to provide a sample and the officials gave him the option of a blood sample. Jones appeared agitated and, according to testimony from the testing agents, he threatened them and even took their phone. Yet Daniel Cormier came forward and even though he does not consider his former rival to be a friend, he defended Jones.

He said that the accusations were, “BS”. “My boy Jon Jones, guys, he got served two misdemeanors for the incident with the drug testing lady. If I’m being completely honest though the whole time I kind of thought that deal was BS… If a man is at his house and he’s having some drinks in the confines of his own home, so what? It’s his right to do that,” the UFC commentator said in his YouTube video.

So even if he says that he is not friends with his old rival, DC is still cordial with Jones. Do you think they might become friends in the future?