RAF open to Jones vs. Cormier wrestling match but warn 'all the stars' must align

A wrestling match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier remains a distant possibility under the Rokfin Amateur Fighting (RAF) banner, according to Lance Palmer, the promotion’s head of talent relations — but Palmer was candid about the scale of the challenge involved.

“There’s a lot of moving parts that would have to be made right for it to happen,” Palmer told MMA Fighting. “I think if they both really wanted to do it, we could make it happen.”

The two men waged one of the most bitter rivalries in UFC history across two headline bouts, but a third meeting — this time on the wrestling mat — is complicated by more than just scheduling. Cormier, a two-time Olympian now 47, has publicly dismissed the prospect, insisting Jones would avoid a wrestling contest against him and promising a dominant performance if it ever came to pass. Jones, meanwhile, has spoken openly about battling arthritis in his hips, a condition that could make serious competition preparation a significant health concern.

Despite those hurdles, Palmer pointed to RAF’s recent track record of coaxing retired fighters back onto the mat as a reason for optimism. Chris Weidman, Frankie Edgar, and Urijah Faber have all competed for the promotion in recent months, and Jones himself appeared at RAF 9 in Dallas in May alongside recent UFC signee Gable Steveson, expressing interest in returning to wrestling after his college career preceded his move into MMA.

“I think they’d both have fun doing it,” Palmer said. “Getting these guys back on the wrestling mat where they first started their love for sports as a kid, it’s awesome to watch.”

Palmer, who is himself competing at RAF 10 against Aaron Pico, acknowledged that the physical demands on both men make the matchup unlikely in the near term. “Physically for both of those guys, I just don’t see it happening but I mean we said that in the past about other things,” he said.

For now, RAF is content to keep the door open. “If all the stars align, I think we can make it happen,” Palmer said, “but there’s just really not a timeline on it.”