During Saturday night’s telecast of UFC on FOX 13 from Phoenix, color commentator Joe Rogan conducted an interview between light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and challenger Daniel Cormier. They will meet in the main event at UFC 182 in Las Vegas on Jan. 3.
Cormier was on hand live as a FOX analyst, and Jones joined the interview via satellite.
One of the topics discussed was the infamous UFC 178 press conference melee that took place at the MGM Grand back in August during a stare-down. Since that time the fight has been moved to UFC 182, and both fighters have had hearings before the Nevada Athletic Commission, in which they both were handed down fines.
Nevertheless, neither man was backing down from defending his actions. When Rogan asked Jones if he would do it again, the champion said he would.
“You know what, I think I would have,” he said. “I’ve been in many staredowns and I’ve never had my throat grabbed. A guy grabbed my throat and I had to stand my ground and let him know that I won’t put up with nonsense like that. So, I think I’d do it again.”
Rogan presented the same question to Cormier.
“Well, if he were to do that again, yeah,” the challenger said. “In the knowing that he would have probably come at me, I would have probably smacked him upside his head instead of just pushing him away from me.”
Asked if he didn’t expect Jones to come in as aggressively as he did for the staredown, Cormier said ultimately, no. Jones caught him by surprise.
“Well, I mean, I don’t know — I just didn’t expect him to touch me from the get-go,” he said. “We do staredowns, he’s right, he’s been in a number of staredowns but he didn’t have to touch me. I wasn’t there to be touched, I was there to do a photo opportunity and Jon just actually took it too far.”
UFC 182 happens Jan. 3 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The co-headlining spot will be a lightweight fight between Donald Cerrone and undefeated upstart Myles Jury.