Daniel Cormier Claims Jon Jones Rejected Seven-Figure Offer for Wrestling Match
The former UFC two-division champion says both men were offered seven-figure purses for a six-minute wrestling match, but Jon Jones declined the opportunity.
Daniel Cormier says MMA fans were close to witnessing another chapter in one of the sport's greatest rivalries. According to the former UFC two-division champion, both he and Jon Jones received seven-figure offers to compete in a wrestling match, but "Bones" ultimately turned down the opportunity.
Daniel Cormier Says Jones Rejected Lucrative Offer
Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones were at the center of one of the greatest rivalries in MMA history. Although both fighters have now retired from the UFC, DC believes fans came close to seeing the longtime rivals compete once again, this time in a wrestling match.
Speaking during a Q&A session on his YouTube channel, Cormier revealed that both men were offered seven-figure purses for a six-minute wrestling bout, but claimed Jones refused to accept the challenge.
"The thing with Jon Jones (...) it wouldn’t be RAF, because they can’t afford to pay it," Daniel Cormier began, "but there’s an organization that offered us both seven figures for a six-minute match. He will not do it. I’m telling you, he will not do it. I’m not lying. I went through the negotiations, and I said, 'If he wrestles me, I’ll do it. But it’s going to be 10-0. I’m going to tech him,' but unfortunately, he knows it’s going to be 10-0, so he won’t do it.”
Daniel Cormier Floats Around Possibility of Grappling Match vs. Jon Jones
Daniel Cormier believes Jones declined the offer because he knows he would struggle under wrestling rules. According to the former champion, Jones also rejected the possibility of competing in a traditional grappling match.
"So then I said, 'How about we do a grappling match?'", Daniel Cormier continued. "He said no, only submissions. I said, 'Why don’t we do points, right, where we win? I don’t want to be tied at the end.' 'No points, only submissions.' So he won’t do it. He won’t compete with me in anything he thinks there’s a chance that he’d lose in. So, give up on the Jon Jones thing. He’s not going to do it.”
Daniel Cormier vs Jon Jones: A Rivalry that Never Fades
Cormier and Jones first met at UFC 182 in January 2015, where Jones earned a unanimous decision victory. They squared off again at UFC 214 in July 2017, with Jones initially winning by knockout before the result was overturned to a no contest after he tested positive for a banned substance.
Although nearly a decade has passed since their last meeting inside the Octagon, the rivalry resurfaced recently after the pair coached opposing teams on the Russian MMA reality show ALF.
