Daniel Cormier doesn't hold the same level of animosity towards Jon Jones now that he did when they were in the midst of one of the nastiest rivalries in UFC history but he's also not faking the bad blood between just for the cameras.
MMA
Daniel Cormier calls Jon Jones a liar over alleged conversation about their rivalry: ‘Jon Jones, I do still hate you and I always will’
Published
2 months agoon
In an interview addressing their coaching stint on a reality show filmed in Thailand, Jones said that he shared a conversation with Cormier where the UFC Hall of Famer allegedly admitted that he just makes too much money to suddenly put all of the ill will between them behind him.
“One time we were sitting down on the couch together and I said, ‘Isn't this nice for us to just sit here, no problems, just enjoying the moment?'†Jones told ALF Global. “He goes, ‘Yeah this is nice, but Jon being your enemy has made me too much money over the years. So even though I have no problem with you, when the cameras turn on I can never be your friend in front of people.'â€
Cormier released his own response on Wednesday and he says that conversation never happened.
“That didn't happen,†Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “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. It just is what it is. It's OK.
“As I have told you before, you can go to bed at night with an enemy. You don't need the happy fairy tale ending. Everybody doesn't need that. I don't. I'm a grown man and neither should Jon.â€
While Cormier admits that his rivalry with Jones has definitely benefitted them both financially, that doesn't mean anything has been faked just to make it look good for the cameras.
“That just didn't happen … this is not a conversation that Jon and I had. It just isn't,†Cormier said. “It's just not a conversation we had in regards to ‘hey, have I made a lot of money because Jon Jones and I have been on the wrong side of each other.' Yes, and so did Muhammad Ali with Joe Frazier and so did Muhammad Ali with George Foreman, and I'm not comparing myself with him, so did Khabib [Nurmagomedov] with Conor McGregor and Conor McGregor with other people.
“You always need a person on the other side in order to make the big dollars. That is not a false thing. Jon and I got big money to go to Thailand. Of course we make money because our rivalry has been what it's been. But it doesn't mean it's fabricated.â€
Now retired at 47 years old, Cormier is in a much different place than he was during his competitive career in the UFC. He fully confesses that his disdain for Jones isn't the same now as it was when they were getting into a brawl in the middle of the MGM Grand lobby in Las Vegas.
But Cormier promises there's just too much history between him and Jones to ever just let all of that go and suddenly become friends.
“I have told you guys on this show, it's not what it used to be,†Cormier explained. “We can operate around each other. It's actually tolerable being in a certain space with Jon Jones without having to feel like we're going to run at each other and start fighting at every turn. I have said that. I have said that my emotions have quelled in that sense that I don't feel that burning desire to just kill the guy.
“That doesn't mean that I'm forgiving all the wrongdoings and all the things that happened over the course of a career or I forget all the things we said, nasty, nasty things about each other. We said nasty things about each other's families. That stuff doesn't just go away, unless you're crazy — and I think Jon's crazy. That just didn't happen. We did not have that conversation. But again, you talk here and whoever will listen but it's like he's almost lost with burning desire for him and I to have something.â€
Cormier seemed genuinely confused why this topic of conversation still gets so much oxygen but as one of the most talked about rivalries in UFC history, it's almost impossible to ignore.
But if there was any doubt about how Cormier feels towards Jones, he made sure to lay it all out one last time.
“Generally when you get older, you start to dislike people more,†Cormier said. “Because you get a little more cranky. I'm more cranky than I was before. So Jon Jones, I do still hate you and I always will.â€
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MVP fires back at Heather Hardys $10M lawsuit over Amanda Serrano fight
Published
1 hour agoon
September 29, 2026
Most Valuable Promotions has responded to a lawsuit filed by
former world champion Heather
Hardy over her 2023 rematch with Amanda
Serrano.
Hardy is seeking $10 million in damages from MVP, alleging in her
complaint that the promotion moved forward with the bout despite
concerns about the risks involved. Hardy alleges that she suffered
permanent neurological damage from the fight, which took place in
August 2023 on the Jake
Paul-Nate Diaz
card.
Most Valuable Promotions cites Hardy’s medical clearance and
commission oversight in response to the lawsuit
According to Hardy's complaint, the fight presented an
“extraordinary and foreseeable risk of serious neurological harm.â€
She also alleges that the bout contributed to lasting issues,
including traumatic brain injury, memory loss and double
vision.
MVP disputed the allegations in a statement issued in response to
the lawsuit, emphasizing Hardy's medical clearance and the
commission's oversight of the contest.
“MVP has great respect for Heather Hardy. We recognize the
difficulty of her circumstances and extend our sincere sympathy and
hope that she receives the care and support she deserves,†MVP
responded (via ESPN). “Heather's participation on our Aug. 5,
2023, card was arranged through her promoter, Lou DiBella, who
contracted for the fight, and Heather publicly expressed her
gratitude for the opportunity both before and after the fight.â€
“MVP followed applicable protocols for the fight, Heather was
medically cleared to compete by the athletic commission overseeing
the event, and the bout proceeded under the commission's authority
and supervision in accordance with their standard medical and
safety requirements,†the statement added. “MVP remains committed
to fighter safety and supporting the athletes who compete in our
events in full compliance with commission standards.â€
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Paul Felder: ‘I thought he had a heart attack’ at UFC Vegas 121
Published
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September 29, 2026
Felder has witnessed several shocking moments during his years
working
Ultimate Fighting Championship events, but Raoni
Barcelos' collapse at
UFC Vegas 121 left him particularly shaken.
Felder was on commentary duty at Meta Apex in Las Vegas for the
latest Fight Night. The main event, which was a back-and-forth
battle, ended in frightening fashion as Barcelos appeared to go
limp during a wrestling exchange against the Octagon wall in the
final round. The referee immediately stopped the contest, and
Barcelos was removed from the Octagon on a stretcher and
transported to a hospital.
It was later confirmed that Barcelos was conscious and responsive.
For Felder, the moments after the finish remain unforgettable.
Paul Felder revisits Raoni Barcelos' collapse at UFC Vegas 121:
‘I thought he had a heart attack'
Speaking on the “Believe You Me†podcast, Felder recalled his
immediate reaction while watching the medical team attend to
Barcelos. The former fighter was alarmed when he saw a doctor check
Barcelos' pulse, something he said he had never witnessed in
similar circumstances.
“His neck was all clinched up and he was unconscious,†Felder said.
“And it looked like he was — I thought he had a heart attack, off
the bat. Then they came in, and they checked his pulse, which was
terrifying to see. I have never seen somebody that was KO'd, where
they come in and the first thing they did, the doctor put his
fingers right on Raoni's pulse. I was like, ‘Oh, this is really
bad.â€
Felder said the uncertainty continued as Barcelos remained
motionless.
“He was just not getting up and then I'm thinking, ‘Is it a stroke?
Is it a heart attack?'†Felder added. “But if they weren't doing
CPR and his pulse was at least there and present and he's
breathing, probably not a heart attack.â€
Barcelos reportedly remains under medical supervision but has
addressed fans on social media, assuring them that he is doing
well.
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