If UFC fans believe the long held feud between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones will fade at the conclusion of their fight and evolve into mutual respect for each other, think again.
At Wednesday’s UFC 214 final press conference at NOVO in Downtown Los Angeles, the animus between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones continued despite being relatively subdued during their respective responses to the media and each other. Holding court for the final time before weighing in and entering the Octagon, the main event stars let the insults fly as they await Saturday night’s highly anticipated rematch. A fight two years plus in the making.
Here’s a few notable exchanges:
Cormier:
“The other day, Jon just about cried on the press conference because I accused him of using steroids. Do I feel Jones tried to cheat? Yea, I do. Why can I not say what I feel? I can say whatever I want. If I believe it in my heart, then I will say it. Yes, I do believe he has done it … for a long time.”
Jones:
“Who looks like a junky here today? Look at his face. You look like a crackhead with a suit on.”
Cormier:
“I may look like a crackhead in a suit. But I’ve never been one. You have.”
When the lights go on, two of MMA’s longest running enemies are poised to give fans a bonafide fight-of-the-year candidate. Pledging to not let their outside of the ring animosity distract them from the business at hand, the showdown will be a battle until the finish and when it’s all said and done, they’ll still hate each other.
For highlights from today’s press conference, flip the page.