Daniel Cormier criticizes Jon Jones’ Chechnya trip

While the entire country enjoys their turkey, Daniel Cormier is still serving some long standing beef.

Jon Jones has been in Chechnya doing a bit of sportswashing for Ramzan Kadyrov, where he raved about shooting “exotic weapons” and the dictator being such “a great host.”

While Jones was talking about eating “like a king” in Chechnya, Cormier took the opportunity to jab at his longtime rival for being absent during Thanksgiving.

“Why is Jon Jones not with his family on Thanksgiving holiday?” Cormier commented on an Instagram post showing Jones eating Chechen food.

Jones has well documented issues relating to his family, which likely makes Cormier’s comments hit a bit deeper.

Jones has been spending time in Chechnya as a guest of Ramzan Kadyrov, as he hosted a birthday party for his son Adam Kadyrov’s 18th birthday. The two-division UFC champion was also seen trying out machine guns and rocket launchers, and doing some light grappling with the dictator.

While Jones was the guest of honor, UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev was also in attendance in the party. The pair was also caught on video, with Chimaev getting the upper hand over Jones in a playful grappling exchange. It was a stark contrast to Chimaev’s training videos supposedly getting outworked by Kadyrov.

The younger Kadyrov also previously invited other UFC stars like Kamaru Usman, Justin Gaethje and Henry Cejudo in his earlier birthday parties.

Kadyrov, who currently faces sanctions for various human rights violations, has been using MMA as a way to market himself. Journalist Karim Zidan, who has extensively covered Kadyrov’s presence in the sport, explained the thought process in bringing in UFC superstars like Jon Jones.

“Sports in the North Caucasus region are not just used for entertainment purposes, but for political gain and the strategic realization of particular ambitions. For Kadyrov, athletes are versatile tools used to whitewash crimes and human rights abuses, exercise control over a population and even as a sports socialization tactic to impose a fabricated model of Chechen machismo,” he explained. “By exposing his sons to elite fighters like Chimaev and Jones, Kadyrov was grooming them as suitable heirs to his regime—a vital step given the persistent rumours of Kadyrov’s ill health.”

Soon after winning the belt at UFC 239, Chimaev immediately surrendered the UFC title to Kadyrov, noting how the “belt is important for my country.” Before Chimaev, Abdul-Kerim Edilov was Kadyrov’s favorite UFC fighter, until he lost favor with the dictator and was eventually found dead under “mysterious circumstances.”