Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier turn up Media Day for UFC 178

Grab some popcorn, your favorite beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair folks because this is going to be a fun. The Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier exchange at today’s media day inside of the MGM Grand was real. The two had been sniping at each other through the various media outlets and it all came to a point very quickly in their stare down.

I know there are those that will think that this was all done just to sell tickets and I have to disagree. Jones does not play that way. In fact, he refuses to as we saw with the Chael Sonnen fight. Sonnen tried to bait him into some banter and Jones often would not even acknowledge him, much less engage with him in a brawl.

For all you people on your high horses I hope you don’t fall too hard and hurt yourself as you writhe around in indication. I was so glad to see Dana White tweet, “I just landed in Bora Bora for my first vacation in a while and it’s starting off perfect!!! @dc_mma and @JonnyBones.” He did not take some PC hypocritical stance like many others are doing.

Look, it is a fight between two people. They are human beings with emotions and sometimes even the professionals snap a little. It got a little ugly but no one was hurt and there will be people in place for the next stare down. Which will be watched live by many more people because of this moment.

Will this give some fuel to the people who hate the sport? Yes, it will but so does almost everything that happens in the UFC. That is why haters are going to hate. It is what they do. And fighting is what fighters do.

Lets be very clear here about this moment. This was an organic incident between the two of them not some plotted out event like Wanderlei Silva with a camera crew walking around to find Sonnen. No, it was a series of reactions that escalated much quicker than anybody thought. If you need proof, just the look on Dave Sholler faces tells you that he had no idea this was coming.

If you are doubting that this is bad for business and the UFC then you really do not understand how this all works. See, just hours after the brawl Jones and Cormier went on Sportscenter. They were not scheduled to be on today before the brawl which would make sense as there are seven UFC events before UFC 178 but is anybody talking about them right now? If they are no one is really listening. This incident created more interest. More interest creates more viewers and more viewers means more money. Especially with this card. It is already stacked and there are several fights to be added to it.

Right now UFC 178 is shaping up as one of the best cards ever on paper. Before the brawl it was already must see PPV and now even more so for me and now the press tour is also now something you do not want to miss. These two are two of the more intelligent fighters who normally keep their cools. Which is why is was so interesting to see them get to each other so quickly. Sit back and enjoy. This is just getting started.

cover image via UFC