Daniel Cormier’s competitive juices get flowing any time Jon Jones is near.
While the former UFC foes both admit they are more cordial with each other than ever before, a competitive tension remains. Cormier and Jones are opposing coaches on the upcoming third season of ALF Global’s “Alf Reality” series, which is somewhat like the UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter.”
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Cormier knows that his days as a championship-level MMA fighter are beyond him, but he’s still confident he would compete well against Jones in single-discipline competitions. While filming the show, Cormier said there were times when he and Jones were cool, but then arguments and disagreements would arise, which would lead to the ideas of competing again.
“There were multiple occasions in the midst of the time spent together where Jones and I argued about fighting each other in a boxing match, to which I agreed to do if it’s just boxing,” Cormier said in a YouTube video. “We also, and the one that caught fire the most, was the wrestling thing, because I said that I would wrestle him in real American freestyle wrestling, and I would beat him.
“That stems from John earlier saying I would wrestle Daniel in a exhibition or a grappling match for charity, or a grappling match for charity. That was something he said prior. … There’s a desire, right? Regardless of the respect for the fighting ability, there’s a desire to compete against each other in something.”
As a high-level competitor, Cormier said that his rivalry with Jones was actually a blessing, because he was able to have someone that could not only compete and beat him, but have the same level of drive to do it. That’s what leads to the respect for each other as athletes and competitors, but on a personal level, Cormier knows they’re just different people, and is hesitant to believe Jones would be willing to start a friendship.
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If the two were to ever compete again, particularly in freestyle wrestling, Cormier is confident he would handle Jones without much trouble. Cormier, 46, was an Olympic-level wrestler who competed in the 2004 Games. The former two-division UFC champ is currently a wrestling coach at Gilroy High School in Gilroy, Calif., where he still trains with his students. If Jones wants to meet him on mats, Cormier is all about it.
“I still wrestle three days a week with the kids,” Cormier said. “I’m still drilling. I’m still doing moves. I don’t understand how this idea that I could lose a wrestling match is out there. But I guess we can find out. And guess what? I’m not the only one talking about a wrestling match between Jon Jones and I. I’m just the only one doing it publicly.
“Stay tuned, because if he steps on that line, I’m taking this dude 10-0, like I said. … For the rest of my life, there’s going to be a desire to compete with Jon Jones, and I’m okay with that.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Daniel Cormier believes he would dominate Jon Jones in wrestling
