Daniel Cormier recently revealed an amusing behind-the-scenes detail about his experience coaching opposite Jon Jones on the ALF Global reality show. The former two-division UFC champion admitted he assembled an entire mixed martial arts coaching staff for what turned out to be a boxing-focused competition.
“When I got there that it’s not an MMA competition. It’s actually boxing with MMA gloves. So now I got a jiu-jitsu coach that’s there and he doesn’t necessarily have the ability to teach,” Cormier explained during an episode of his YouTube show.
The 46-year-old received an unexpected WhatsApp message months ago featuring Jon Jones himself issuing a direct challenge. “Jones says, ‘Come over here and coach against me in ALF Global. Maybe you can get one,'” Cormier recalled. The taunt referenced Jones’s victories over Cormier in their historic rivalry.
Based on his limited knowledge of the show format, having only seen clips of Nate Diaz and Aljamain Sterling competing, Cormier assumed it would mirror TUF format. “I start putting my staff together. I get my boxing coach. I get my kickboxing coach. I get my jiu-jitsu coach. We’re going to go to Thailand and beat Jon Jones’s team in a mixed martial arts competition,” he said.
The discovery that the competition focused solely on boxing left his Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach without much to contribute, though Cormier didn’t elaborate on how they adjusted their approach.
Beyond the coaching mix-up, Cormier described the experience as unlike anything in his career. “It is as wild a show as I have ever been involved with in my entire life. I’ve never done or been around anything like this in my life,” he stated.
The dynamic between the two UFC icons remained tense throughout filming. “At times it’s cordial and a lot of times we’re kind of just arguing the whole time. We just argue. It’s what happens whenever we’re around each other,” Cormier admitted.
Despite the contentious atmosphere, their competitive fire manifested in different challenges. “There were multiple occasions in the midst of the time spent together where Jones and I argued about fighting each other in a boxing match, to which I agreed to do if it’s just boxing,” Cormier said.
The conversation that gained the most attention involved wrestling. Cormier confidently stated he would defeat Jones in freestyle wrestling, declaring, “If he steps on that line, I’m taking this dude 10-0, like I said.”
Reflecting on their relationship, Cormier acknowledged a complex dynamic: “For the rest of my life, there’s going to be a desire to compete with Jon Jones, and I’m okay with that.”
