Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier has shared what went through his mind during the infamous UFC 178 press conference brawl against Jon Jones.
‘DC’ recently made his debut on fellow UFC commentator Joe Rogan’s popular podcast The Joe Rogan Experience. During his time there, Cormier spoke about the thought process that could have possibly resulted in Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield in their infamous incident in 1997.
The former UFC champion then described his own altercation with Jones during the face-offs at the UFC 178 press conference and drew parallels between the two incidents.
“Mike Tyson is not gonna cower down to [Evander Holyfield]. So, he bites him… When I was in that [press conference] fight with Jon Jones, I was still undefeated at that time and we were at the MGM Grand, and he headbutted me, like put his head on me. So, I push him. He’s an alpha male, too. So, the f**ker attacks me. So, we get to fighting… and Joe, the security guard from the UFC falls under me, but now I’m on my back as we go flying off the stage. I will say there was a thought to bite the motherf**ker because what am I doing on my back?”
Cormier then further explained the rationale behind his thought of biting ‘Bones’ during the altercation:
If I would have pinned him, that would have been a reaction for a guy that usually will walk around in most places in this world as the alpha. And then when he finds himself on the bottom as the alpha, he’s gotta find a way to survive. So, that’s what Mike Tyson would do.”
You can check out his comments from the 7:10 mark below:
What happened in the two Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier fights in the UFC?
Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier was one of the ugliest rivalries in UFC history. On multiple occasions, the two athletes hurled abuses and insults at each other in media interviews as well as on social media.
The two first locked horns at UFC 182 in January 2015. ‘Bones’ successfully defended his light heavyweight title that night with a unanimous decision victory over Cormier.
Their second encounter took place at UFC 214. This time, ‘Bones’ managed to finish his opponent in the third round. But the result was later overturned to a no-contest as Jones tested positive for banned substances.
