Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is doubling down on his efforts to reassure Daniel Cormier that their past hostility is dead.
Jones will return to the Octagon at UFC 285 for the vacant heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane. He’s attempting to match an accolade held by Cormier and a few others as a multi-division UFC champion.
Ahead of his highly-anticipated return from a three-year hiatus, Jones is looking to come back to the UFC a new fighter and person. One of the biggest changes he’s made in recent days is his approach to his perceived beef with Cormier, even years after their last fight.
Jones attempted to offer an olive branch and a blessing to Cormier to commentate his upcoming fight. Cormier initially responded with skepticism, but Jones’ efforts seem to be picking up legitimacy.
Jon Jones Tries To Ease Daniel Cormier’s Doubts About Professional Relationship
In a recent series of tweets, Jones reassured Cormier that there’s no ongoing animosity from his end.
“In all seriousness DC, I’m cool with you bro,” Jones tweeted Friday. “I recognize the man you are, I wasn’t lying when I said those things in my post fight interview. Outside of us being fierce competitors I dig the way you represent yourself, the wrestling community, our community, and our sport.
“Sit down interview, post-fight interview, coaches meeting. We’re cool man for real,” Jones continued. “I appreciate your competitive nature, you drove me to be a better competitor. Forever grateful.”
Cormier previously wouldn’t commit either way to the prospect of interviewing Jones before and after UFC 285. But, Jones seems open to that possibility coming to fruition.
Jones and Cormier were fixtures of arguably the biggest rivalry in UFC history. They fought twice during their careers, with Jones picking up wins at UFC 182 and UFC 214.
Jones’ TKO win at UFC 214 was overturned to a no-contest after testing positive for a turinabol metabolite, a banned substance under USADA.
Jones and Cormier are just weeks away from coming face-to-face in Las Vegas as a fighter and a broadcaster, and it seems Jones genuinely wants to turn the page on their at-times vicious back-and-forths.
What is your reaction to Jon Jones’ latest attempts to squash the beef with Daniel Cormier?