Ionic framework is built on top of Cordova, so every Ionic app is essentially a Cordova app with additional features and tools. Therefore, it is definitely possible to run an Ionic app on Cordova .
When you build an Ionic app, it creates a Cordova project under the hood and uses the Cordova CLI to build and run the app. You can also use Cordova plugins in an Ionic app to access native device features such as the camera, GPS, and contacts.
In fact, if you have an existing Cordova project, you can even add the Ionic framework to it and take advantage of the additional UI components and features provided by Ionic.