It was not long ago when UFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones and challenger Daniel "DC" Cormier gained infamy after being involved in a highly publicized media day brawl in August.
It was very rare to see such scuffles, given UFC president Dana White's tight policing during fighter face-offs. But this particular incident was different. In White's absence, the company's PR officer David Sholler was tasked to mediate the encounter between the two 205-pounders. To say the least, it would be safe to say that Sholler will no longer be assigned to such events.
It did not end there. As they were called on to be interviewed by ESPN SportsCenter, both men continued to exchange pleasantries, which they thought they were doing off air. If anything, it further solidified Jones' reputation as MMA's new bad boy.
"You know I would absolutely kill you if you ever did something like that, right?" Jones said. "I would literally kill you if you spit in my face."
The fight was originally scheduled as the headliner for UFC 178 in September, but an injury suffered by Jones during training forced the UFC to reschedule the bout to January 3rd, as the main event for UFC 182.
If anything, the postponement of the bout creates more buzz to what seems to be the hottest grudge match in mixed martial arts today. But it goes without saying that the said incident has further painted Jon Jones as a villain. And as the sport's top pound-for-pound guy, it does not sit well for many of the sport's fans.
Since Anderson Silva went on to become the "Greatest of All-Time" during his title reign from 2006-2013, he was also one of the sport's most beloved figure. He never talked trash or engaged in public brawls with any of his opponents. Now that a character like Jones has taken his seat, the public apparently is not warmly receiving it.
With only less than a month away until fight night, both fighters are already about to enter the final stages of their preparation. Cormier has declared time and time again that he will emerge as the new UFC light heavyweight champion. Then again, guys like Vitor Belfort, Rashad Evans, and Glover Texeira said the same thing, but rendered unfavorable results.
Here is the video of the Jones-Cormier pre-fight media day brawl, in multiple angles (featuring a flying shoe):
