Jon Jones has never lived a quiet offseason, but his latest appearance, eating Chechen food while flanked by local hosts, opened a door Daniel Cormier didn’t hesitate to walk through. A holiday built for family instead became a new flashpoint in one of MMA’s most enduring rivalries.

While Jones leaned back in visible delight after tossing his sunglasses to the floor in the viral clip, millions were asking the same thing: Why is the greatest fighter of his generation celebrating Thanksgiving in Chechnya? Cormier, unsurprisingly, said the quiet part out loud.

And this wasn’t just any weekend abroad. Jones has spent most of 2025 floating between retirement and reinvention: teasing a White House fight with Alex Pereira, and cozying up to controversial Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

He even revealed on X, “I’m signing a major ambassador deal here in Russia I can’t announce yet, soon I’ll be a regular, it was awesome. I was invited by the president Kadyrov! I spent a day celebrating his son’s 18th birthday, got to shoot exotic weapons, my favorite was the RPG. Was never served so much food, ate like a king.”

Yet, the moment Daniel Cormier saw the video, he couldn’t resist. Happy Punch’s post on X captioned the situation plainly: “Daniel Cormier called out Jon Jones under this video of him eating food in Chechnya.” The former champ-champ had responded with a jab sharp enough to cut through the laughter in the clip, writing, “Why is Jon Jones not with his family on Thanksgiving holiday?”

It wasn’t just a dig. It was a deeply personal question aimed at a man whose family had endured a difficult year. Because context matters. In October, Jon Jones’ older brother, Arthur Jones, a Super Bowl champion and former NFL standout, passed away suddenly at 39. The Baltimore Ravens, the team that drafted him in 2010, mourned his “infectious energy and eternal positivity,” describing him as a man defined by family.

As such, Cormier’s question hit a pressure point. Whether he meant it as a genuine concern or another chapter in their rivalry, it landed with force. While Jones hasn’t addressed Cormier’s remark at the time of writing, everything around him continued to fuel the fire.

In Chechnya, he’s been photographed sparring and socializing with Kadyrov, a U.S.-sanctioned leader. When asked about the ethical backlash, he wrote on X, “I don’t know anything, I don’t see anything. All I know is the man’s a great host,” followed by a zipped-mouth emoji.

For now, Jon Jones seems content enjoying the attention, the travel, and the luxury. But Daniel Cormier’s pointed reminder, on a holiday defined by togetherness, may linger longer than the punchlines in the viral clip. However, there might be another chapter budding in their storied rivalry!

Jon Jones reveals he’s been offered a charity grappling match against Daniel Cormier

As ‘Bones’ angles for a return at the UFC’s historic White House event in 2026, a surprising name has re-entered his orbit: Daniel Cormier, not for a fight inside the Octagon, but for something that still carries emotional weight, a grappling showdown.

Jones has made one thing clear about his comeback aspirations: Alex Pereira is his ideal opponent if he fights again. After retiring and vacating the heavyweight title earlier this year, he even revealed he had no interest in facing Tom Aspinall, even for the reported $30 million. Yet another opportunity lit him up. When taking fan questions on X recently, one suggestion caught fire: a grappling match with Cormier.

Jones didn’t deflect. He leaned in as he responded, “I was approached the other day about grappling DC for charity, I said absolutely. Let’s see what comes of it. 3-0.”

And the history matters here. Jones beat Cormier twice in light heavyweight title fights, though the 2017 knockout was overturned after a positive dr*g test. The charity match is no small detour either. Jones already owns a notable grappling win over Dan Henderson, whom he submitted with an arm-triangle at Submission Underground in 2016.

A friendly charity event could easily become something more symbolic, more emotional, and far more watched than many actual UFC fights. For two men whose careers have been forever intertwined, maybe a match on the mats is the only way to settle what words, losses, wins, and years have seemingly never fully resolved!