Jon Jones praises Daniel Cormier moments after UFC 214 win: 'True champion for the rest of his life'

We wondered, regardless of outcome, how Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier would act toward each other following the heated rivals’ UFC 214 title fight.

Now we know.

Jones scored a third-round knockout over Cormier in their highly anticipated rematch, which headlined UFC 214. Afterward, while Cormier was in tears with his team, Jones seemingly attempted to squash their long-standing feud with nothing but praise for the now-former champion.

“I want to take this time to thank Daniel Cormier for being my biggest rival and motivator,” Jones said. “Daniel Cormier, guys, he has absolutely no reason to hang his head. He has been a model champion, a model husband, a model father, a teammate, leader, and I aspire to be more like that man. Because he is an amazing human being. Unfortunately we’re opponents, but outside of that, he is a true champion for the rest of his life.”

Cormier-Jones 2 was the main event of today’s UFC 214 event at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FXX and UFC Fight Pass.

For complete coverage of UFC 214, check out the UFC Events section of the site.