Daniel Cormier on Jon Jones: 'I Said Some Things I'm Not Proud Of'

There is something about Jon Jones that seems to unearth a whole other side to Daniel Cormier.

After enduring years of competition as an amateur wrestler, the 35-year-old former Olympian has grown adept in dealing with various personalities in a calm and subdued manner. But Jones has quickly become the one anomaly to the peaceful rivalries of Cormier’s past.

During a media event in August, an all-out brawl broke out during an intense staredown between the two light heavyweights in the MGM Grand lobby in Las Vegas. The infamous drama that unfolded that day culminated into a large dog pile onto the lobby floor, a flying shoe and UFC senior director of public relations Dave Sholler getting tossed into the set backdrop.

While the media incident managed to snag headlines, it was the off-air verbal exchanges between Jones and Cormier on the set of ESPN's SportsCenter afterwards that really set the tone for MMA’s hottest new rivalry.

Looking back, Cormier admitted that he wasn’t proud of the way things unfolded, but his genuine dislike for Jones forced his hand.

On Monday's edition of The MMA Hour, Cormier explained that there are just certain things beyond a fighter’s control when a feud is real:

"

It’s pretty cringe-worthy, actually, because you don’t really want to present yourself in that way. Jon and I, above all, we’re family men and we’re fathers. We’ve got kids. So you don’t really want to be portrayed like that because that’s not who we are at the bottom of it. But sometimes, when it’s real and you have a genuine dislike for someone, you can’t control it.

"

Some of the behind-the-scenes comments were so extreme that Cormier even hinted at crossing a line of some sort.

“It was bad,” Cormier admitted. “It was very insulting to him, and I said some things that I’m not proud of. I’m pretty sure he said some things he’s not proud of.”

The Nevada State Athletic Commission ruled on a hefty fine and community service as a suitable punishment for both fighters for their involvement in the media scuffle.

Despite the commission’s wrist slap, the ongoing drama between Jones and Cormier has played out wonderfully in the media. The MGM Grand incident and SportsCenter quotes have drawn more attention and interest to an already eagerly anticipated fight.

It’s moments like these that serve only to remind fans that MMA, like any other combat sport, will always be a sport with a flair for theatrics. People will always love a good fight between world-class athletes. Now combine that with a good storyline and real emotions. It’s a surefire recipe for a pay-per-view blockbuster.

The UFC has a bona fide blockbuster on its hands on January 3, when Jones and Cormier return to the MGM Grand Garden Arena to finish what they started back in August.

Only this time there won’t be any security around to break things up.

Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon.