Daniel Cormier was on the verge of quitting a Russian reality TV show, ALF MMA, with Jon Jones after things took a dangerous turn.
Earlier this year, Cormier and Jones served as coaches on ALF MMA, a Russian reality show much in the same vein as UFC’s “The Ultimate Fighter” series, with the likes of Khamzat Chimaev and Nate Diaz serving as coaches in the past.
The third episode of this season released on Tuesday, and things went pear-shaped when two fighters with pre-existing issues came face-to-face and started brawling. That fight set off more fighting, and one named Sergei, trying to break up one of them, got caught in the cross-fire and resorted to grabbing a kitchen knife.
“We’ve seen a few fights since we’ve been here, and this was by far the biggest fight,” Cormier said. “Sergei’s so mad, because now he has a cut under his chin, that he runs into the kitchen, and he wants to grab a knife. Because all he’s thinking about now is protecting himself. It was very intense.”
“I think we’re gonna go home,” Cormier spoke with some of his team after the fight. “I might give them their money back and stay home. I can’t do this s***. It’s too much. Somebody’s going to get hurt bad… I didn’t know it was like this. It’s really bad… I don’t know if I can do this. Tell them this is too much. I might not be able to do this.”
In a bit of a surprise twist, Jones played peacemaker and addressed the participants, letting them know Cormier’s stance and telling them to straighten up.
“At the end of the day, Daniel Cormier is a big star in America,” Jones said of his long-time rival. “This competition, we’re all on the same team. I know you guys have real conflicts, but ultimately, our goal is to make good TV… Nothing on this show is worth losing your life, whether that’s in the ground or in jail.”
Jones’ words managed to turn things around, and neither man left the show.
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