LAS VEGAS — Light-heavyweight champion Jon (Bones) Jones and challenger Daniel (DC) Cormier turned the other cheek Friday, essentially electing to ignore each other at the weigh-in for UFC 182.
There was no shortage of emotion, however.
Cormier came out wearing a "Break Bones" T-shirt and an intense look, motioning as if he had a championship belt around his waist. After weighing in at the light-heavyweight limit of 205 pounds, the former Olympic wrestler paced up and down his side of the stage as he waited for the champion to come on stage.
Jones came bearing gifts, throwing out T-shirts before he climbed the steps onto the stage at the MGM Grand Marquee Ballroom before a crowd of several thousand. He was still loudly booed, however.
Jones, who also weighed 205 pounds, kept an eye on Cormier as he stripped down before getting on the scales and UFC president Dana White stepped up to ensure Cormier didn’t get any ideas as he approached the scales on his mini-laps. Jones smiled as Cormier paced.
The rivals came to blows at a photo-op in August in the lobby of the hotel, a brouhaha that netted both men fines and community services. They exchanged words but not blows at a media availability Thursday.
All eyes were on Saturday’s staredown at the weigh-in.
After both men were done with the scales, Jones elected not to face Cormier when they came together for the traditional onstage pose. Instead he faced the audience, arms at his side and with no expression on his face. That prompted Cormier, his arms behind his back, to face the other way — the back of the stage.
White hovered just behind them in case tempers flared, but nothing happened.
Jones (20-1) and Cormier (15-0) will face each other for real Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which was occupied by Justin Timberlake on Friday.
"You know what man, I’m just going to stay undefeated," the 35-year-old Cormier said in a brief interview on stage after the weigh-in. "You know it’s very telling that these people cheer for me and they don’t even like me, they just hate Jon Jones."
Jones, 27, was unfazed by the crowd reaction.
"Hey guys, if you love me make some noise," he said during his interview, drawing cheers. "All right, all right."
The relaxed champion said he was supremely confident.
"I definitely have plans on doing great things," he said. "And I know doing great things never comes easy, so I’m not expecting this to be an easy challenge. But I’m excited about it because I do believe I’ll end up victorious."
All the other fighters also made weight and there was little heat as they met on stage.
