“Cheater.” That is how Daniel Cormier described the former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones. The story of their iconic rivalry is nothing new. However, even though matters seemed to have cooled down with both fighters in their retirements, DC looks intent on settling their accounts once and for all.

Steaming hot in the UFC scene, both fighters entered the Octagon for the first time in 2015, setting the fanbase into a frenzy. However, two wins and two failed drug tests later, Jones birthed a scalding rivalry between the two, which Cormier is ready to avenge. But he is deciding the rules this time.

Daniel Cormier challenges Jon Jones on the mats

In a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, the retired UFC coach and presenter, Cormier, shared his plans to shake off the cage rust, or rather, test his wrestling skills against his nemesis.

“Grappling? I don’t know so much. Wrestling? Yeah, I’ll wrestle Jon Jones. They can give me and Jon Jones a wrestling match,” Cormier remarked.

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“Whoever wants to pay for that, tell us. We’ll wrestle. Me and Jon Jones. Freestyle wrestling, me and Jon Jones, 2–3 minutes period. It won’t take long, though. It would be a wipeout,” Cormier added, sharing his confidence.

Even though it’s unlikely we’ll see either of these fighters come out of their retirement for a wrestling bout, it’s an exciting matchup nonetheless. Besides their scarred history, both fighters bring complementary sets of skills to the table, designed to test each other.

As a 2004 Olympic wrestler, Cormier commands an exceptional grasp of takedown concepts, chain wrestling, and trips, often leveraging these inside the Octagon. That does not diminish Jones’ proficiency in the martial art, as he is himself an NJCAA national champion. He won the championship in his freshman year at Iowa State. While wrestling was not his main weapon, Jones definitely knew how to neutralize it, with a takedown defense of 95%.

Whether a blitz wipeout or not, Cormier’s proposed bout would definitely have been a must-watch, with promised fireworks. But that’s not the only place where the rivals clash, with their saga taking unexpected turns. Both fighters will soon reignite their rivalries. Both Jones and Cormier are set to coach opposing teams in an MMA reality show. The show is none other than ALF Reality. It is the Russian version of the hit USA MMA Reality Series, The Ultimate Fighter. The two UFC legends will be coaches in the 3rd edition of the reality show.

As Team Cormier and Team Jones are set to take each other’s heads, you might be wondering how exactly their dynamic works out, especially given their elaborate history. Well, it looks like there aren’t any hard feelings.

Daniel Cormier has set differences with Jon Jones aside

Even two years out of his MMA career, Daniel Cormier couldn’t help but badmouth Jon Jones, summing up his feelings in a simple dialogue: “Man, you did some stuff to my career that never let me settle, because now I don’t know.” However, after years of coaching, Cormier has distanced himself from the place where that rivalry made sense.

Talking to Red Corner MMA, Cormier added, “Being around Jon Jones is different because we had such a bad history, but the reality is I’m done fighting now, and that part of it’s gone. So it’s not nearly as nasty, but I think we have done a good job of being professional as much as we can.”

Looks like they have come to a point of mutual respect, even though the fighters still bicker and argue over their differences. However, as Cormier emphasized, maturing in the MMA scene requires being able to set past feuds aside to build a professional relationship, something that both UFC legends have embraced.

What are your thoughts on this new chapter in Cormier’s and Jones’ lives as AFL coaches? And which team do you think will steal the spotlight this year? Let us know in the comments!