Daniel Cormier prioritizes Conor and Khabib over his rivalry with Jon Jones.

Daniel Cormier proudly displays his UFC belts. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/danielcormier

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Daniel Cormier experienced one of the greatest rivalries in UFC history against Jon Jones , marked by provocations, two fights for the light heavyweight title (up to 93 kg), and a strong antipathy between the fighters. Despite this, the former two-time champion believes that another confrontation reached an even greater level of tension and impact inside and outside the octagon: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor.

In an interview with the YouTube channel ALF Global, Cormier highlighted that the rivalry between Khabib and Conor went beyond the limits of a simple sporting dispute. According to the former champion, the Irishman's provocations involving family, religion, and personal issues gave the confrontation a different dimension and made the duel even more intense.

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“I think McGregor took it to a whole different level; he talked about family, religion, and all those other things. I know my brothers, I know how committed they are to their religion, their faith, and their family; so when you do that, there’s no going back, it’s something you can’t do, it’s not the kind of thing you do,” said Daniel Cormier.

For Cormier, Conor McGregor 's attitude gave the fight against the Russian a different dimension than his rivalry with 'Bones'. Although that rivalry was also marked by provocations and strong antipathy between the two, the relationship remained within a different context.

Remember Khabib vs. Conor?

Khabib Nurmagomedov (left) faces Conor McGregor (right). Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC.

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The clash between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov took place in October 2018, in the main event of UFC 229, and went down in history as one of the most memorable events ever promoted by the organization. The rivalry transcended the limits of the sport after months of provocations, personal attacks, and the famous incident involving the Russian's bus, attacked by his rival months before the fight.

When the octagon door closed, however, Khabib's dominance was absolute. Superior in wrestling, the then-champion took down the Irishman on several occasions, even staggering him with a knockdown, and in the fourth round he locked in a rear-naked choke that forced McGregor to tap out, authoritatively defending his lightweight title.

The tension, however, did not end with the fight. Immediately after his victory, Nurmagomedov jumped the octagon fence to confront members of 'Notorious' team, triggering a general brawl that took over the arena and resulted in punishments for both sides. Undefeated, the Russian ended his career with a perfect record of 29 wins in 29 fights, while Conor never got the rematch he had been demanding for years.

What was the Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier matchup like?

Cormier and Jones face each other tensely in the UFC. Photo: Getty Images/Kevork Djansezian/Zuffa LLC

The two were involved in one of the most intense rivalries in UFC history, facing each other twice. In their first encounter in 2015, Jones defeated his rival by unanimous decision. In the rematch in 2017, 'Bones' won by technical knockout, but the result was later changed to "no contest" after the then-champion tested positive for a banned substance in an anti-doping test.

The rivalry between the two went beyond the octagon and was marked by numerous provocations, public arguments, and tense episodes over the years. Even after Daniel Cormier 's retirement , the relationship between them was never completely amicable.

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