Jon Jones and Rampage Jackson appeared to squash their long-running beef backstage at Saturday’s MVP MMA 1 event, sharing a lighthearted reunion that was captured on video.
The two former rivals headlined UFC 135 in 2011, with Jones submitting Jackson in the fourth round. The buildup was contentious, with Jackson accusing Jones of planting a spy in his training camp, and the bad blood lingered after the fight when Jackson repeatedly accused Jones of being a lifelong cheater.
Despite that history, the two ran into each other backstage at the Rousey vs. Carano card at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and the interaction was notably warm. Jones posted a video on Instagram described as him “apologizing” to Jackson in a humorous exchange.
Jones remains at odds with the UFC following a contract dispute that prevented a fight with Tom Aspinall from happening. He has been publicly critical of UFC CEO Dana White’s decision to exclude him from the UFC Freedom 250 card at the White House on June 14.
Jackson retired from MMA in 2019 following a loss to Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 237 and has since built a career as host of the JAXXON Podcast.