THROWBACK! Daniel Cormier Throws a Bottle on Jon Jones During a Press Conference

Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones are amongst some of the best fighters in the storied history of MMA. The two elite competitors have an equally iconic rivalry that has remained a focal point of conversation within the MMA community. Moreover, they have grown into even larger stars in the promotion off the back of their beef.

The fighters met at UFC 182 for the first time where Jon Jones would hand DC the first loss of his professional career. ‘Bones’ would face a lengthy suspension from USADA before the two rivals could finally run it back. In that time period, the Olympian in Cormier would become the face of the division and was the champion of the Light heavyweight division.

Chiefly, UFC 214 in Anaheim, California was set to be Cormier’s opportunity to push back against his detractors when Jones returned to action. The two had reignited their beef that had been stewing in the shadows. MMA fans got to witness the venom spew over first hand every time the two faced off against each other.

Daniel Cormier x Jon Jones: Boiling point

The UFC’s signature Summer Kick-off press conference saw a host of staple UFC fighters jawing back and forth. Amongst them were Light heavyweight royalty Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier who were arguably the standout performers. The MMA community fondly recalls these verbal barbs that were a reflection of the disdain the two shared for each other.

Moreover, the press conference also revealed that the two 205-pound fighters had been involved in a backstage altercation. The incident was suddenly brought to the forefront, much to the surprise of everyone in attendance. Cormier had lobbed a water bottle at Jones’ head after the latter allegedly passed comments about Cormier kids via UFC on Fox.

The incident was yet another instance of the bad blood that the two fighters had every time they crossed paths. The occurrence does not stand in isolation given their personal and professional rivalry. Moreover, it is but an addition to the catalog of incidents that had boiled over in the eyes of fans and fighters.

Jon Jones took to Twitter and gave his accounting of the backstage incident the day after the fiery press conference.

‘Bones’ Jones would finish Cormier via Left head kick and reclaim his undisputed championship strap. However, another doping violation would return the belt to DC and overturn the bout to a no-contest.

The chain of events further soured the relationship between two of MMA’s biggest athletes. Chiefly, the memorable Light heavyweight rivalry lives on in the hearts and minds of those who witnessed the exchanges.