Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones have found a new home continue their bitter rivalry. After years of hostility inside the UFC, the longtime rivals have crossed paths once again, this time as opposing coaches on the ALF reality show. According to Jon Jones, as he attempted to extend an olive branch during the shoot of their show in Thailand, ‘DC’ flatly refused the gesture. Instead, the 46-year-old former champion chose to lean into their rivalry, prompting Jones to go off on the double champion during an interview.

In a subsequent interview with Red Corner MMA, Jon Jones lashed out at Cormier, calling him a “d***head” for refusing to make peace. But he didn’t stop there. Jones went on to claim that ‘DC’ benefits from keeping the rivalry alive, even taking a swipe at him for agreeing to appear on the show. In response, Cormier has now addressed the remarks made by his former opponent.

Daniel Cormier responds to Jon Jones’ insults 

“Here’s the deal. We were around each other every single day. We were cordial, and there were times when Jon and I actually laughed together at stuff. If I didn’t have to be around him, I’m not going to voluntarily be around him. Why would I want that? Look, man, I don’t harbor the emotion of the past that I did with him. I really don’t. But we spoke negatively about each other’s families. We had a nasty, nasty thing. He cheated constantly. I don’t have to let him off the hook and be his friend. That would just be me going, ‘Everything you did is good.’ It’s not. It just wasn’t good. So yeah, I can be cordial. I can work alongside you. I can do my thing. But I don’t have to be your friend. I’m a man. It is what it is,” Daniel Cormier stated while on The Ariel Helwani Show.

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier definitely had one of the fiercest rivalries in UFC history, and it turned really ugly at times. Many fans even rank it just behind Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov as the greatest UFC rivalry because of the constant verbal tension between them. But beyond the trash talk, Cormier also had real issues with ‘Bones’ testing positive for PEDs after their second fight at UFC 214, which was later ruled a no-contest. Moreover, the former two-division champion never hid his frustration over Jones repeatedly eye-poking him during their fights.

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Because of all those issues, it is easy to understand why ‘DC’ still feels that a friendship with Jon Jones would not be ideal. Furthermore, the ex-Olympian also doubled down on his stance, saying it is okay not to have a fairy-tale ending with his bitter rival. “Happy endings and fairytales are for kids who need these things to go to bed at night — little girls who believe in princes and princesses. You don’t need to be friends with everybody that you had a problem with. Like, it’s fine. Just do your thing, and I’ll do mine, and we’ll be okay. Hey, y’all want to pay us to do this show? Okay. A boatload of money? I can do a show with him, and I want to beat him, but we don’t need to be friends,” Cormier asserted bluntly.

Now, as the Louisiana native has made it clear that being friends with his bitter rival is not possible, he also seems interested in extending this renewed rivalry beyond the ALF reality show.

‘DC’ wants to throwdown with Jones in a boxing match 

Daniel Cormier was a force to be reckoned with in the UFC, a man who was only truly tamed by two fighters: Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. But because of his rivalry with ‘Bones’, the former two-division champion always felt driven to get those two losses back, in any shape or form.

‘DC’ has already challenged Jones to face him in a wrestling match in a Real American Freestyle Wrestling (RAF) style setting. He even predicted that he would completely dominate ‘Bones’ in a grappling showdown. Now, Cormier has gone one step further and challenged his eternal enemy to a boxing match as well.

“Hey, I’m not fighting. I would box him. But I’m not fighting. Of course, why not? I’d box him… I’ll box his face up,” Daniel Cormier added on The Ariel Helwani Show.

Looking at the current tension between them, any promoter would be excited to book a boxing clash between the UFC legends. And honestly, both men might agree to beat each other up inside a ring one more time. However, Jones is currently focused on fighting at the UFC White House event, which creates a clear roadblock. It also remains to be seen whether Dana White’s TKO Boxing project could eventually turn this grudge match into reality.

That said, do you think Daniel Cormier is right to keep the animosity alive after so many years? Or should he finally consider ending the rivalry? Let us know in the comments section below.