It turns out being cast as rival coaches on a reality show is not quite enough to extinguish a decade of bad blood. Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, two of the most decorated fighters in UFC history, reunited on the set of ALF Reality 3, a Russian MMA television production filmed in Thailand, and it did not take long for the old hostilities to surface. Footage from the show has since circulated widely online, capturing a tense poolside staredown and a back-and-forth exchange that reminded fight fans exactly why this rivalry never really ended.
The two men were cast as opposing coaches for the season, which placed them in close proximity for an extended filming period. What followed was a series of interactions that started as pointed banter and escalated into something with a sharper edge.
What the footage shows
The exchange that drew the most attention began with Jones poking at Cormier’s weight, a topic that has been part of their rivalry since their light heavyweight days in the UFC. Cormier fired back, turning the critique around and pointing out that Jones’s current physical condition was not exactly what it used to be either, accusing him of trying to obscure his size.
Jones then shifted the tone by acknowledging the remote filming location, noting that if something physical actually happened between them, there would not be many people around quickly enough to intervene. The comment was laced with humor but landed with unmistakable intent. Cormier responded by suggesting that their weights were closer now than they had been during their UFC rivalry, and that a real confrontation under those conditions would favor him. He pointed to the pool nearby as a hypothetical venue, saying he would have little trouble handling Jones in the water at their current sizes.
No physical contact occurred. The cameras kept rolling, and the moment eventually passed. But the footage, once it reached social media, immediately reignited conversation about one of mixed martial arts’ most enduring personal feuds.
DC believes he would currently beat “fat” Jon Jones in a fight. pic.twitter.com/mZElLWTy5y
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) March 6, 2026
A rivalry with genuine history
Jones and Cormier have one of the most layered rivalries in the history of combat sports. Their conflicts inside the UFC extended across multiple fights, title defenses and public confrontations that went well beyond the professional. Cormier retired from MMA in 2020 following a trilogy loss. Jones last defended the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 309. Both men have since pursued other ventures while remaining connected to the sport’s public conversation.
Their announcement as opposing coaches on ALF Reality 3 surprised fans who wondered whether the format might push them toward some version of reconciliation. What happened instead was more consistent with their history. The proximity of filming reopened grievances that had not been fully resolved, and the cameras provided an audience.
In the weeks following production, both men have continued taking shots at each other publicly. Jones has accused Cormier of treating other coaches poorly on set. Cormier has returned to the idea of a wrestling-focused confrontation, arguing the weight situation now tilts the hypothetical in his favor. Jones, for his part, has said arthritis limits what he can realistically commit to in terms of future fights but has maintained that he is in active discussions about returning to the UFC on a high-profile summer card.
What fans are watching now
The footage from ALF Reality 3 has done exactly what this kind of material tends to do. It found an audience that was already primed for anything involving Jones and Cormier, added a new location and new context to a familiar dynamic, and spread quickly. Fight fans have been debating whether the exchange was organic hostility or a performance calibrated for the cameras, though the two are not mutually exclusive with these particular athletes.
What is clear is that neither man appears interested in letting this storyline go quietly. The rivalry began with title fights and press conference confrontations years ago, and it is still generating footage worth watching in 2026. Whether it ever culminates in something official again remains an open question, but the poolside staredown in Thailand was a useful reminder that the answer is not obviously no.