Daniel Cormier has revealed that Jon Jones turned down a seven-figure offer to compete against him in a wrestling match, explaining that Jones refused any format where there was a chance he could lose.
During a fan Q&A session, a fan asked Cormier about the possibility of him and Jones squaring off in a wrestling match through a major organization. DC was straightforward in his response, telling the crowd not to hold their breath.
“There’s an organization that offered us both seven figures for a six-minute match. He will not do it,” Cormier told the audience. “I’m telling you guys, he will not do it.”
Cormier went on to describe the back-and-forth negotiations that took place, revealing that he had agreed to the match under the condition that Jones would participate. However, DC made clear he had no doubts about the outcome.
“I went through the negotiations and I said, ‘If he wrestles me, I’ll do it,'” Cormier explained. “But it’s going to be 10-0. I’m going to take him. Unfortunately, he knows it’s going to be 10-0, so he won’t do it.”
Cormier also revealed that the two sides tried to find a middle ground by proposing a grappling match, but Jones rejected that format as well, insisting on a submission-only ruleset.
“I said, ‘How about we do a grappling match?’ He said, ‘No, only submissions,'” DC recalled. “I said, ‘Well, why don’t we do points, where we win? I don’t want to be tied at the end.’ No points, only submissions.”
For Cormier, the pattern was clear. Jones was only willing to compete in formats where there was no risk of him coming out on the losing end by a clear margin.
“He won’t compete with me in anything that he thinks there’s a chance he will lose in,” Cormier said. “So give up on the Jon Jones thing. He’s not going to do it.”
The two men share one of the most talked-about rivalries in MMA history, with Jones defeating Cormier in both of their professional bouts.
Cormier has never shied away from the idea of continuing their competition outside the octagon, but based on what he shared with fans, Jones appears to have no interest in revisiting their rivalry in any competitive setting.
