Daniel Cormier gives honest response to Jon Jones' "bad employee" quip - "I couldn't beat him. That's my reality."

Daniel Cormier recently weighed in on Jon Jones holding on to their rivalry and honestly responded to his former rival's latest "bad employee" jibe.

It's no secret that Cormier and Jones shared one of the fiercest rivalries in UFC history. The two MMA icons faced off twice as light heavyweights, with Jones outpointing 'DC' in their first fight but having his second victory overturned into a no-contest due to a steroid violation. The build-up to their fights was notably defined by personal insults, vile monologues, and even death threats.

While UFC CEO Dana White strongly considers Jones among the greatest MMA fighters ever, and the two share a close relationship, there was a time when they didn't get along.

As per recently leaked text messages between White and former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta, Jones had a rather tense contract negotiation process with the promotion in 2014. This led to White referring to the then-light heavyweight champion as a "punk" in a text exchange with Fertitta.

Reacting to the leaks, Cormier pointed out that all major organizations treated "bad employees" that way. Jones wasn't happy about that and fired back by reminding his former rival that a "bad employee" defeated him twice.

In a recent YouTube video addressing the retort, Cormier dismissed Jones' anger and pointed out that he wasn't being petty. He said:

"If I could say 100 things about him positively, he hangs onto the negative thing. I wasn’t talking about him directly... I couldn't beat him. Regardless of what he was doing, I couldn't beat him. That's my reality."

Watch the full video below:

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When Daniel Cormier discussed Jon Jones' incredible clinch game

A month ago, Daniel Cormier and Joe Rogan spoke about Jon Jones and why the reigning heavyweight champion is so difficult to beat. During their conversation, 'DC' also explained how 'Bones' used his reach to tire his opponents out.

As mentioned, Cormier and Jones shared one of the most heated rivalries in MMA and fought in the octagon twice. During an appearance on the JRE MMA Show in December, Cormier opened up about his fights with Jones and went into detail about how 'Bones' is a special fighter. He said:

"When you get in the clinch with this dude [Jones], he’s so tall that it’s almost like you’re holding him up if you’re the shorter fighter. He’s like draping over the top of you and that is what fatigues you. When I’m clinching, you know I fought there a ton in the clinch, punch, punch, punch, I’m trying to break your posture. He doesn’t do that.”

Catch Daniel Cormier's comments below (4:46):