Jon Jones thought the rivalry with Daniel Cormier might finally cool off
For a second, it really did look like the long-running feud between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier was moving toward something closer to mutual respect. The two former Ufc title rivals were set up as opposing coaches on ALF Global’s “Alf Reality” series — a format that feels like a cousin of the classic Ultimate Fighter blueprint, just with its own chaos and cameras.
Going in, Jones publicly framed the trip as a chance to compete in a different environment and maybe, finally, close the book on years of personal shots and competitive bitterness. But once filming wrapped, his tone flipped completely.
Jon Jones just went OFF on Daniel Cormier after filming the reality show with him 😳😬
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 8, 2026
"He was an asshole. I tried to make peace with him many times, he made it very clear that he wants to be enemies for the rest of his life.
He's a d*ckhead. Look at the way he treats his staff… pic.twitter.com/GCh8yb4RBv
“We laughed sometimes… but mostly it was the same old thing”
Jones’ complaint wasn’t just “we don’t get along.” He painted a picture of a tense set where he felt Cormier stayed distant from the fighters, wasn’t especially warm when cameras weren’t rolling, and carried himself like the boss of the room. Jones even claimed he made multiple attempts to smooth things over — and came away believing Cormier preferred keeping the rivalry alive because it pays.
The rivalry still pulls them back toward competition
Cormier, for his part, has acknowledged that their competitive edge is hard to switch off. According to the story coming out of the show, there were moments where things were civil… and then the temperature rose again, including talk about settling something in boxing or on the wrestling mats.
Jones brings up Gable Steveson — and takes the long view
When wrestling got mentioned, Jones didn’t promise an easy win. Instead, he leaned into legacy talk — saying he already changed how people rank Cormier historically, and then firing a fresh shot by bringing up his top prospect, Gable Steveson. Jones’ claim was blunt: Steveson will become a bigger champion than Cormier ever was, keeping DC in Jones’ shadow even after both are done competing.
So if anyone expected a “we squashed it in Thailand” ending… this doesn’t sound like that story. It sounds like the rivalry simply found a new set, new cameras, and the exact same tension.
