Mike Tyson’s trainer, two-time mixed martial arts coach of the year nominee Rafael Cordeiro, shares an amazing story involving @JonnyBones and @FabricioWerdum having a late-night grappling match in a Brazilian hotel room approximately 10 years ago. Via @alonsopvt #UFC309 pic.twitter.com/FNfcTTNMve
— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) November 11, 2024
Jon Jones and Fabricio Werdum never crossed paths in the Octagon, but they did have a memorable late-night grappling session in a Brazilian hotel room many years ago.
Both Jones and Werdum were in Goiania, the largest city in the Brazilian state of Goias, for an event in the area. Kings MMA trainer Rafael Cordeiro recalls inviting Jones to train with them earlier in the day, but “Bones” politely declined, saying he was there only to support his team.
Things apparently changed that evening after Cordeiro, Jones, Werdum and Wanderlei Silva went to dinner. After the meal, the group decided to head to Cordeiro’s hotel room, and that’s when chaos ensued.
“As soon as we got in my room, Jon Jones looks at Fabricio (and says), ‘Let’s roll motherf–ker,’” Cordeiro recalled in an interview with Sherdog correspondent Marcelo Alonso.
According to Cordeiro, it wasn’t exactly the ideal space for an impromptu jiu-jitsu session.
“I was like, ‘This is not gonna be good.’ This is impossible to happen,” Cordeiro said. “I was scared. (It was) 1 a.m. I said man, ‘What is gonna happen?’”
During the brief session, Cordeiro recalls Jones nearly mounting Werdum and later shooting for a single-leg takedown. When Werdum began to fish for a kimura, that’s when Cordeiro yelled “Time!” to bring an end to the session before things got even more out of hand.
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“Almost broke the TV, almost broke the wall,” Cordeiro said. “Right on the floor with no protection. Crazy guys.”
While Cordeiro was worried at the time, that moment helped forge a strong bond that exists to this day.
“Jon Jones is one of us,” Cordeiro said. “I love him and (he’s a) really good guy — always treats me with respect. He deserves all the best, and I believe he’s gonna finish as a champ.”
Jones will return to action on Saturday when he defends his heavyweight crown against Stipe Miocic in the UFC 309 headliner at Madison Square Garden in New York. Cordeiro believes Jones has what it takes to get the nod against an opponent who holds the UFC record for most heavyweight title defenses.
“This is gonna be a great fight, two champions. Two guys that we don’t thave to say [anything] about; they have their history,” Cordeiro said. “I believe this moment is Jon Jones’ momentum. I think he can win the fight.
“It’s hard for me to say, this guy is gonna win in Round 1, 2 or 3, — I don’t like to say that. For everything that we have seen inside the fights, I truly believe Jon Jones wins by ground-and-pound or by points. I think he has a little advantage over Miocic. With no disrespect, Moicic is a champ. He deserves all the best.”
