Cormier says Jones will refuse seven-figure wrestling match because he knows he'd lose 10-0

Daniel Cormier is convinced Jon Jones will walk away from a seven-figure wrestling match offer — not because the money isn’t right, but because the result is already written. Speaking on social media, the 47-year-old former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion said both he and Jones know he would win a wrestling contest between them 10-0, and that certainty is precisely why Jones won’t agree to it.

“Jones and I, that is a 10-0 match every single time. I know it, and he knows it,” Cormier said. “You don’t have to goad me into this wrestling match. I will beat him 10-0 at 47 years old. Here’s the problem — I know I’m gonna beat him 10-0, he also knows that I’m going to beat him 10-0. That’s why he won’t wrestle me. He won’t do it. The amount of money that has been offered to us to do the wrestling match is seven figures. To wrestle! You’re telling me to wrestle for that? I’m in all day.”

The proposed bout comes through ALF Reality — the Russian equivalent of The Ultimate Fighter — where Cormier (22-3 in MMA) and Jones (28-1) recently appeared as rival coaches. ALF boss Alfredo Auditore has stated that a wrestling match between the two is close to being finalised, though Cormier’s comments suggest Jones’s participation is far from guaranteed.

The pair share one of the most storied and contentious rivalries in UFC history. Jones defeated Cormier by unanimous decision at UFC 182 in January 2015 to retain the light heavyweight title. Their rematch at UFC 214 in July 2017 ended with Jones stopping Cormier in the third round, but the result was subsequently overturned to a no-contest after Jones failed a drug test.

Cormier’s wrestling credentials are not in question — he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and represented the United States at the 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics in freestyle wrestling before transitioning to MMA. His confidence in a grappling-only format against Jones, a fighter whose game has always leaned heavily on striking and athleticism, is grounded in a legitimate competitive history on the mat.

Whether Jones responds publicly — or accepts — remains to be seen.