Former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones believes he and Daniel Cormier would “actually make great friends” if they have a chance to “chat it out”.
Jones and Cormier fought twice in the UFC, which resulted in one of the greatest rivalries in the promotion’s history. Despite years of bad blood, the longtime rivals have been civil in their most recent interactions online.
With that, as Jones is set to return at UFC 285 for the heavyweight title, he has said he would like Cormier to not only commentate his fight, but also do a pre-fight interview with him. The news was surprising, and now Jones has taken things a step further by saying he and Cormier could be friends if they had a chance to talk everything out.
“I do believe that Daniel will do a great job, all the guys do a really good job at being unbiased,” Jones on Sirius XM.
“The UFC hires these guys because they’re professionals and yeah, I think he’s going to do a great job if he gets the job. Daniel has commentated for me before, I believe he was in the corner when I fought Ovince Saint Preux and he did a great job, he’s not biased. People try to Daniel and I out to be these absolute archenemies.
“If you look at competitive athletes throughout history, they all come around, Mike Tyson and Holyfield, they all come around and it’s just competition,” Jones continued. “Outside of the sport, I have no ill will towards Daniel. I think he’s a very stand-up individual and I think we’d actually make great friends if we were ever to sit down in front of each other and really just chat it out. Yeah, it is what it is.”
Although Jon Jones believes he and Daniel Cormier could be friends, whether or not they will is uncertain. But it is good to see the two at least be cordial with one another given their past.