Whatever the opposite of an "Eskimo kiss" is, this comes pretty close.
In preparation for their upcoming fight on Sept. 27, UFC fighters Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier met at the MGM Grand Monday for UFC 178 media day. While most fighters use the opportunity to give each other a staredown, pose for pictures and walk off stage, Jones and Cormier got a little too close, rubbed their foreheads together and ended up getting into a brawl.
ESPN reports Jones shoved UFC Director of Communications Dave Sholler through the canvas backdrop when he attempted to separate the two fighters. The pair then exchanged punches until MGM security pulled them apart.
The sheer absurdity of the scene has led many to speculate the incident was pre-arranged, as part of an effort to promote the fight next month. While nothing is certain, Deadspin argues it was "on the staged side of real."
In a follow-up interview on ESPN, Jones described the moment of forehead contact. "Our heads touched, our noses rubbed together, it's a very intimate ... very passionate moment for a lot of fighters," Jones said, as Cormier glowered in the split-screen. "I reacted in self-defense," he added.
Real or not, the UFC has promised to investigate, adding in a statement that it is "prepared to levy sanctions to reinforce the appropriate behavior."
"This is certainly not a proud moment for the UFC organization,” Kirk Hendrick, the UFC’s chief legal officer, said to UFC.com. “We expect more from our athletes, especially these two gentlemen, who are very well-trained and highly educated professionals. Their actions were clearly a violation of the UFC’s code of conduct."
WATCH their full ESPN interview, below: