Years removed from their title fights but never far from tension, Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones found themselves sharing space again, this time not inside the Octagon, but under the lights of ALF Reality. The Russian fighting reality show paired the two longtime rivals as opposing coaches, a setup that teased closure but may have quietly reopened old wounds.

In a video making the rounds on social media, the show’s boss, Alfredo Auditore, put it bluntly: “Jon Jones, DC… DC with Jon Jones, friends now?” The question lingered for a beat, but Cormier didn’t hesitate.

“Me? No,” he said flatly. Jones responded with a mock sad face, almost playful. But Cormier didn’t budge. “Jon Jones only talks sh— to me. All he do is talk sh— to me.”

Jones half-shrugged and admitted, “I do talk a little bit.” The exchange was awkward, honest, and revealing as any illusion of reconciliation evaporated on the spot.

This wasn’t just banter. It was a window into how deep the resentment still runs. ‘Bones’ entered the project, suggesting it might finally be a chance to bury the hatchet. What followed instead was a familiar spiral. After filming wrapped, Jones unloaded on Cormier in interviews, calling him “stuffy” and accusing him of being difficult with fighters.

Jones even claimed he tried to make peace, only to be met with resistance because, in his words, “I tried to make peace with him many times but he made it very clear that he wants to be enemies for the rest of his life because of how lucrative it is.”

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier fought twice inside the UFC. Jones won the first fight at UFC 182 by unanimous decision. He finished the rematch at UFC 214 with a brutal head kick, but it was later overturned to a no-contest after he failed a dr*g test. That result remains a permanent asterisk in MMA history, one that seemingly still shapes how Cormier views Jones.

Both men moved on, and they both even won heavyweight gold. Cormier eventually retired after losses to Stipe Miocic. Jones claimed the heavyweight title by submitting Ciryl Gane, defended it against Miocic, then briefly retired himself, only to reverse course months later in hopes of fighting on the UFC White House card.

But that uneasy face-to-face moment didn’t come out of nowhere. It was the public tip of a much longer conversation Cormier has already had behind closed doors, and he’s been remarkably consistent about where he stands.

Daniel Cormier doesn’t “need” to be friends with Jon Jones, as he explains his stance

Speaking with Ariel Helwani after filming ALF Reality in Thailand, Daniel Cormier made it clear that while time has cooled the anger, it hasn’t rewritten the history. And more importantly, it hasn’t created any obligation to turn rivals into friends.

According to him, “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.”

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Cormier’s point is pretty simple: he’s not pretending the past didn’t happen. He believes Jon Jones crossed real lines, especially with repeated failed dr*g tests, and becoming friends would feel like excusing that behavior. He’s fine being professional, working together, and keeping things civil, but friendship is a step too far.

Given their history, that stance makes sense. As he further shared, “You don’t need to be friends with everybody. You don’t have to be friends with everybody that you had a problem with. It’s fine. Just do your thing, I’ll do mine, and we’ll be OK.”

That’s what made the ALF Reality moment feel so real. It was just an honest answer to an uncomfortable question. And maybe that’s the most grown-up outcome this rivalry was ever going to get. Time may have softened the edges, but it didn’t erase the scars.