The bad blood between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones continues to boil years after their legendary UFC showdowns.
UFC heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones‘s potential Octagon return is becoming more uncertain by the day. Jones and interim titleholder Tom Aspinall have been linked to a possible title unification bout since November, after Jones defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.
Fans proceed to critique Jones for his apparent reluctance in allowing the heavyweight division to maneuver forward, whether it’s with the Aspinall fight or with a possible title vacation. A petition signed by around 200,000 UFC fans is gaining steam calling for the UFC to strip Jones of his heavyweight title.
Within the meantime, two of Jones’s former rivals, Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, irked the heavyweight champion in recent days.
Daniel Cormier to Jon Jones: ‘I might’ve fought Tom Aspinall already’
Cormier and Sonnen, who co-host Good Guy/Bad Guy on ESPN, recently had so much to say in regards to the Jones/Aspinall saga and the state of the heavyweight division. This quickly caught Jones’s attention, as he expressed in a recent post to X.
“Jon Jones whooped each of y’all, but hey–why not team up on a podcast and gossip about his life? Meanwhile, he’s out here making your annual salary in every week. Stay busy, boys,” Jones wrote.
In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Cormier reacted to Jones’s recent barbs.
“It seems as if Jon Jones doesn’t like being talked about by two of the most important voices on this game, and I’m going to drag the curtain back,” Cormier said of Jones.
“I do know what Jon Jones made in Thailand, I used to be offered to educate this show with Jon Jones. His resume is impeccable, star power, his ability to sell, matches up with anybody within the business. But guess what? Daniel Cormier’s resume matches up with anybody within the business, I bring eyes like other people within the business,” Cormier continued. “Jon Jones don’t make more cash than me in every week! He makes extra money than me, when he fights! We’re over here eating. The most important paydays you ever had were directly tied to me! I’m talking about you, and I’m getting paid to speak about you, but I don’t fight no more ’cause all I can really do is talk. That’s what I do.
“You fight! Or not less than, you’re purported to fight. You’re talking about me, Francis, Chael, and almost ignoring the precise thing. You’ll be able to then stick it to everybody such as you’ve done on so many occasions and tell ’em about it. I can inform you guys on good authority, if I used to be still fighting today, and I used to be still the heavyweight champion and Tom Aspinall was the primary contender, I might’ve already fought him. One thousand percent. Understand how dangerous, it might’ve done nothing but excite me. This dude Jon Jones continues to be talking? Come on.”
Aspinall recently claimed the UFC has given him a date and site for his next fight, but wouldn’t disclose whether or not Jones can be his opponent. If Jones walks away, Aspinall will fight for the undisputed title against a top contender like Ciryl Gane or Alexander Volkov.
Cormier, a former UFC heavyweight champion, retired after a trilogy loss to Miocic in 2020. Before the Miocic rivalry blossomed, a Cormier vs. Jones heavyweight showdown nearly got here to fruition.
Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier heavyweight fight nearly happened during their primes
After their second UFC light heavyweight showdown led to a no-contest as a consequence of Jones testing positive for a banned substance, a 3rd fight between Jones and Cormier was briefly teased. Fight talks ramped up after Cormier earned the UFC heavyweight title by knocking out Miocic at UFC 226.
Jones vacated the UFC light heavyweight title after defeating Dominick Reyes at UFC 247. He took 4 years away from fighting before returning in 2023 to fight for the then-vacant heavyweight belt at UFC 285 against Gane, winning by first-round submission.
Years after the second chapter of their rivalry, tensions remain high between Jones and Cormier. Cormier ripped into Jones in a passionate defense of Islam Makhachev, revamping their bitter UFC feud.
Cormier and Jones nearly squared off on a Russian spinoff of The Ultimate Fighter as coaches, before Cormier declined the offer following Nate Diaz‘s sudden departure.
