Jon Jones opens up about how his hatred for Daniel Cormier affected him during the height of their rivalry

Jon Jones (left) and Cormier (right) face off at UFC 182 Media Day. Photo: Brandon Magnus/UFC

Protagonists of one of the greatest rivalries in the history of MMA, Jon Jones e Daniel Cormier continue to draw fans' attention when it comes to the relationship between the two. Willing to open up and talk about what he feels, the current heavyweight champion (up to 120,2 kg) surprised everyone by detailing how the feeling affected him.

"Daniel Cormier and I, I swear he aged me in some way. I fight for love. I do what I do certainly for love, I love this gift, the opportunity, the fans, the money, everything, I just love it. But with Daniel Cormier there was a hatred that came to the surface for the first time where I just couldn't imagine losing to this man,” Bones said in an interview with Vic Blends.

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Continuing with his speech, Jones recounted how hatred moved him in moments of tension before the fight against Cormier.

“I remember doing extra training on Christmas Day, just because I hated him so much at the time and couldn’t imagine losing to him. That motivated me to beat him, but I never want to operate without that energy,” he concluded.

Jon Jones in revenge against Daniel Cormier. (Photo: Reproduction/Twitter UFC Brazil)

With two fights recorded in the octagon, Jones managed to stand out in all of them and even knocked out his rival in the second encounter. After the great feat, the fight ended up being declared a 'no result' due to a failed doping test provided by 'Bones'. Currently, Cormier is retired from combat sports.