Jon Jones convinced Daniel Cormier to stay after knife scare on reality show

During filming, tensions boiled over between two competitors, resulting in a violent altercation that quickly escalated beyond control.

Cormier later described how one fighter, identified as Sergey, attempted to arm himself after the brawl.

“He was so mad… he ran into the kitchen and tried to grab a knife,” Cormier explained. “It was one of the most intense moments I’ve ever been part of.”

Jones also recalled the seriousness of the situation, revealing he had to physically intervene.

“I had to grab the knife from one of the guys,” he said. “It was really intense — for the first time, everyone on set felt unsafe.”

Jones convinced Cormier to stay despite fears

Cormier considered leaving the show entirely, citing concerns over safety.

“I think we’re going to go home, I might give them their money back and go home, I can’t do that s—, it’s too much, somebody is going to get hurt bad, like bad. I didn’t know it was like this. I don’t know if I can do this, man, tell him this is too much, I might not be able to do this,” Cormier told one of the coaches.

With production at risk, Jones stepped in to calm the situation and persuade his longtime rival to continue.

“Please, please, we all really need you, bro,” Jones said as he pleaded with DC to stay.

Jones also acknowledged that the show could not continue without Cormier at that stage, making his decision critical to completing the season.

Despite their historic rivalry, the moment highlighted a rare instance of cooperation between the two former UFC champions, who ultimately stayed in Thailand and finished filming the series.

The episode adds to the growing list of controversies surrounding the show, which has previously seen fighters walk out due to safety concerns — further underlining the unpredictable nature of its production.