Daniel Cormier calls Jon Jones a liar over alleged conversation about their rivalry: ‘Jon Jones, I do still hate you and I always will’

Daniel Cormier has flatly denied an alleged conversation Jon Jones recently described, in which Jones claimed Cormier admitted to keeping their rivalry alive for financial gain when cameras are rolling. The exchange underscores the complex dynamics of one of UFC history's most bitter feuds, even years after both men have moved on from active competition.

In an interview with ALF Global, Jones recalled sitting with Cormier during a reality show filmed in Thailand and asking if it was nice to spend time together without conflict. Jones claimed Cormier replied that while he had no personal problem with Jones, their rivalry had made him too much money to abandon it for the cameras. "When the cameras turn on I can never be your friend in front of people," Jones said Cormier told him.

Cormier, now 47 and retired, dismissed the account on his YouTube channel. "That didn't happen," he said. "We did not have that conversation where I sat to him and said 'when the cameras are rolling you're my enemy.' No. He's just my enemy all the time." Cormier acknowledged that their rivalry has benefited both financially—much like Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier or Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Conor McGregor—but emphasized the animosity is genuine, not manufactured for profit.

Cormier conceded that his feelings toward Jones have evolved since retirement. The burning rage has cooled to the point where they can occupy the same space without imminent violence. Yet he rejected any suggestion of reconciliation. "It's not what it used to be," he explained, "but that doesn't mean I'm forgiving all the wrongdoings and all the things that happened over the course of a career." He concluded emphatically: "Jon Jones, I do still hate you and I always will."