Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier actually have some nice things to say about each other

Reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and former champion Jon Jones don’t like each other. That’s as clear today, when we’re days out from their blockbuster UFC 214 rematch, as it has been for the last three years. The two rivals are constantly berating each other in interviews and on social media, and they’re poised to take it out on each other in the cage this weekend.

Surprisingly, however, the two rivals can conjure up some compliments about one another when pressed. In a recent segment called “Fighting Words” with Fox Sports, Jones and Cormier did just that.

Jones, perhaps surprisingly, was the far more talkative of the two in this segment. Here’s what he had to say about “DC.”

“At the end of the day, we’re both elite competitors, and that’s what makes us have such disdain for each other. Obviously, I’m a student of his lifestyle. He’s been a big part of my life for the last two years, and I think he’s a tremendous person outside of the ring. That doesn’t sell fight tickets, but he seems to be a hard-working man, in the Octagon and outside the Octagon. A loyal husband, a loyal father, a wrestling coach, a team captain, he’s a very respectable person. But unfortunately we’re competing against each other and you can’t be apologizing for your level of intensity when it comes to winning.”

Cormier, meanwhile, managed to get a few Jones compliments out, but pumped the brakes on them pretty quickly.

“He’s a great competitor,” he said. “I think he rises to challenges. I think the things that he has done in his career are pretty outstanding – but those are where the compliments end.” 

Who do you think comes out on top when Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier battle for light heavyweight gold in the main event of UFC 214 this Saturday night?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 7/26/2017.