Tag: Daniel Cormier

UFC 314: How to watch Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, start time, Miami fight card, odds, more

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC 314 on pay-per-view, ESPN and ESPN+.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC is back in South Florida this week with UFC 314 in Miami.

Here’s how to watch UFC 314 with the newly vacant featherweight title on the line at the top of the card.

Broadcast and streaming info

Megan Olivi, UFC 284

UFC 314 has a main card that starts at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view via ESPN+. The preliminary card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, and early prelims stream on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET.

Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 314 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Dan Hellie[/autotag] will host the official UFC 314 weigh-in show on Friday at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.

He’ll be joined by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag], former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] and [autotag]Laura Sanko[/autotag].

Former interim UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], two-time UFC title challenger [autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] and light heavyweight [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] will serve as desk analysts on the UFC 314 post-fight show and throughout the card, when necessary.

[autotag]Brett Okamoto[/autotag] will serve as desk host with [autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] joining the desk post-fight.

Anik will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 314.

He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators, former two-division UFC champion Cormier and [autotag]Joe Rogan[/autotag].

[autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] will also contribute to the broadcast as a coach-analyst.

(Mike Bohn—MMA Junkie)

Main event: Alexander Volkanovski

Record: 26-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC
Opponent: Diego Lopes (27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Yair Rodriguez, Max Holloway (three times), Chan Sung Jung, Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo
Misc.: It’s been a rough past couple years for the former champ, but he still finds himself right back in a title fight. He lost two lightweight title shots to Islam Makhachev – the second of which came on short notice. Then he lost his featherweight title to Ilia Topuria. But Topuria is headed to lightweight and vacated the belt, so who better than to have a crack at it than the ex-champ, the UFC brass figured.

Main event: Diego Lopes

Record: 27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC
Opponent: Alexander Volkanovski (26-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Brian Ortega, Dan Ige, Sodiq Yusuff, Pat Sabatini
Misc.: Lopes’ win over ex-title challenger Ortega this past fall put him in perfect position to get the call when Topuria moved up and the featherweight belt became open.

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, UFC 314 news conference

Co-main event: Michael Chandler

Record: 23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC
Opponent: Paddy Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Tony Ferguson, Dan Hooker, Benson Henderson (twice in Bellator), Patricky Freire (twice in Bellator), Eddie Alvarez (2011 in Bellator)
Misc.: Has lost four of five, but remains a fan favorite for his willingness to sacrifice blood and perhaps future coherence in the name of entertainment. For that reason, title contention remains ever-present with a win. But a loss to Pimblett would push him toward that on-the-way-out territory experienced by Tony Ferguson, Donald Cerrone and others – fun at the dance, sure, but no longer a candidate for prom king.

Co-main event: Paddy Pimblett

Record: 22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC
Opponent: Michael Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: King Green, Tony Ferguson
Misc.: Former Cage Warriors champion has been perfect since his arrival to the UFC, and all four of his stoppage wins in the promotion have come with post-fight bonuses attached.

UFC debut: Patricio Freire

Record: 36-7
Opponent: Yair Rodriguez (19-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Adam Borics, A.J. McKee, Emmanuel Sanchez, Michael Chandler
Misc.: Former two-division Bellator champion “Pitbull” Freire finally arrives in the UFC. He’s regarded as the best fighter in Bellator history – and even challenged for the bantamweight title there less than two years ago, meaning he has the potential to play around in three divisions.

UFC 314 main card betting odds

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Alexander Volkanovski -150 vs. Diego Lopes +125 – for vacant featherweight title
  • Michael Chandler +135 vs. Paddy Pimblett -160
  • Bryce Mitchell +260 vs. Jean Silva -325
  • Patricio Freire +165 vs. Yair Rodriguez -200
  • Nikita Krylov -200 vs. Dominick Reyes +165

UFC 314 prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Dan Ige +130 vs. Sean Woodson -155
  • Virna Jandiroba -150 vs. Yan Xiaonan +125
  • Chase Hooper -700 vs. Jim Miller +500
  • Darren Elkins +285 vs. Julian Erosa -360

UFC 314 early prelim betting odds

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Sedriques Dumas +160 vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk -190
  • Su Mudaerji -220 vs. Mitch Raposo +180
  • Tresean Gore +260 vs. Marco Tulio -325
  • Nora Cornolle -175 vs. Hailey Cowan +145

UFC 314 preview videos

 

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Daniel Cormier explains why Michael Chandler under most pressure at UFC 314

Bottom line? Daniel Cormier says Michael Chandler cannot afford to “lose to the next generation guy” in Paddy Pimblett.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] believes [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] has the most to lose at UFC 314.

Former Bellator champion Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) takes on Paddy Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in Saturday’s five-round co-headliner (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Kaseya Center in Miami. Cormier argues that Chandler’s four losses in the UFC came to to big names and former champions. But if Chandler loses to rising contender Pimblett, Cormier says that would set him back in a big way.

“I asked you earlier if the most pressure was on Volk, it’s not, and I said I believe Chandler has more pressure,” Cormier said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “You want me to tell you why? Michael Chandler has found himself in a very, very hard-to-reach bit of company. He’s that guy that, win or lose, nothing really affects him, right? If he wins, people go, ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ Knocked out Dan Hooker, kicked Tony Ferguson in the face. If he loses – man, him and Charles Oliveira, he had him. It was this close, about to become the champion, Charles got him.

“Eh, not that big of a deal. Him and Dustin Poirier, he loses. ‘Oh, that was a great fight,’ but Dustin got the job done, submitted him. He fought Justin Gaethje, that was a tremendous fight, but Gaethje won. Charles Oliveira, he stood up with him and slammed him backwards. What I’m getting at, Chael, is Michael Chandler has fought in the UFC six times. He’s won twice. If he loses again, now you’re not losing to Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira. You’re losing to the next generation. You cannot lose to the next generation guy.”

After waiting more than a year to fight Conor McGregor – a matchup that was booked for UFC 303 last June but scrapped when McGregor withdrew – Chandler moved on by running things back with Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 this past November. He lost the bout by unanimous decision.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.

Daniel Cormier predicts Justin Gaethje gets UFC title shot vs. champ Islam Makhachev

Daniel Cormier sees Justin Gaethje sliding into the UFC title picture.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] sees [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] sliding into the UFC title picture.

Lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) is gearing up for his next title defense after making quick work of short-notice replacement Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January.

Ilia Topuria says he was promised an immediate lightweight title shot after he vacated his featherweight title, but there’s been pushback from Makhachev’s team. That’s why Cormier thinks Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) will end up getting the title shot.

“I honestly believe that’s who is going to fight for the belt, I believe it’s going to be Justin Gaethje,” Cormier said on his “Funky and the Champ” show with Ben Askren. “If I’m team Makhachev, I’m asking for Justin Gaethje because that’s a big-name fight, it’s the guy that carries a lot of name recognition. I think that’s going to be the fight if I’m being honest with you.”

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Ben Askren finds it hard to make a case for Gaethje, who was knocked out by ex-featherweight champ Max Holloway at UFC 300, but rebounded with a decision win over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313.

“He lost to Holloway, and Topuria just put down Holloway in very impressive fashion,” Askren said of Gaethje. “I don’t even think it’s a hard argument. I think Topuria is by far the most compelling person.”

Cormier’s argument for Makhachev is that two of his four title defenses came over former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, and how he doesn’t want to go down that road again. Askren explained why he doesn’t see Cormier’s argument as valid.

“Those two featherweights, Holloway has the very, very recent win against Justin Gaethje at lightweight, at which they competed at lightweight, right?” Askren said. “And then Volkanovski had the very competitive bout with Islam Makhachev. “So you have both of those guys also competing at lightweight and having relatively good results.”

Daniel Cormier criticizes Conor McGregor’s political aspirations: ‘People in Ireland don’t even like him’

Daniel Cormier finds UFC star Conor McGregor’s sudden turn to politics odd.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] finds UFC star [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s sudden turn to politics odd.

The former UFC dual champion recently admitted that his focus is currently on politics, where he plans on running for Irish presidency. McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) hasn’t competed since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, and has only been booked for one fight since against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 last June – a fight he pulled out of due to a broken pinky toe.

Cormier thinks McGregor saying greatness does not rush is not a good indicator of his fighting future.

“The Conor McGregor of ’15, and ’17, and ’16, the one that went eight rounds with Floyd Mayweather, that Conor McGregor was in a rush to greatness, and if that’s gone, it’s over,” Cormier said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “It’s a wrap, man.

“But to be a politician – he wants to be a politician. Hell, I think people in Ireland don’t even like him. Everybody I speak to are like, ‘I can’t stand this dude.’ But I guess he feels like he has enough support to go into politics.”

Chael Sonnen pointed to the “level of ridiculousness” McGregor is willing to go to get attention, and how it’s like a drug for him.

“It is a bit ridiculous,” Cormier said. “The politics angle, for me, is a little bit ridiculous. But we’ll see what happens.”

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NCAA champ Wyatt Hendrickson details how it felt to shock the world, praises Daniel Cormier’s call

“Wyatt Hendrickson just beat Gable Steveson, Wyatt Hendrickson just beat Gable Steveson, Wyatt Hendrickson just beat Gable Steveson.”

“Wyatt Hendrickson just beat [autotag]Gable Steveson[/autotag].”

“Wyatt Hendrickson just beat Gable Steveson.”

“Wyatt Hendrickson just beat Gable Steveson.”

It’s a call that will forever go down in NCAA wrestling history – a simple sentence, but one that tells it just as it is. But reading that sentence doesn’t encapsulate the energy by which [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] exclaimed that sentence.

[autotag]Wyatt Hendrickson[/autotag] experienced that moment firsthand. It will be with him until the day he dies, and he doesn’t think he’s alone in that. But even he, watching it back, thinks the moment was captured perfectly by his fellow Oklahoma State University Cowboy Cormier.

“Just hearing that commentary, every time I rewatch that last situation with DC commenting, I get off my seat like I don’t know what happened,” Hendrickson told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “I get so into it. The goosebumps are just flowing every single time and that commentary was nothing short of absolutely outstanding. Just reliving that moment and hearing him yell, ‘Wyatt Hendrickson just beat Gable Steveson. Wyatt Hendrickson just beat Gable Steveson.’ Oh my gosh. That clip is going to be running through my mind rent free for the rest of my life.”

But nothing will beat being in Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on March 23, Hendrickson explained. And being in his own head? Hendrickson doesn’t think the English language – or any language for that matter – can do it justice.

“All I can really say is that it was just unreal,” Hendrickson said. “I mean, it was unreal. As soon as that happened and the final buzzer sounded, I came back into reality. Walking out there, the only way I could describe it is there are a lot of great movies. I think ‘Creed’ is a good one where whenever the boxers are in the center, the only people in the arena are you and your opponent. You can’t hear anything, you can’t see anything, you’re just in focus. You’re in battle.”

Hendrickson, a fifth-year senior at OSU who had transferred from the U.S. Air Force Academy through the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), was the No. 2 seed heading into his final vs. Steveson – but a massive underdog.

Steveson was an Olympic gold medalist who was 18-0 on the season when he entered the match at 103-2 in his NCAA career.

But with his flag draped over his shoulders and who he calls his “big boss” Donald Trump, sitting mat-side, the second lieutenant Hendrickson said he not fazed by Steveson’s aura.

“It kind of felt like it was in slow motion but I knew I took that shot,” Hendrickson said, of his match-winning takedown with just seconds left on the clock. As soon as I decided to pull that trigger, I’m like, ‘This is the one shot I’m going to have, so I need to make it worth it.’ I was starting to lose it a little bit but I just had that confidence of, ‘I’m going to get this takedown. I want it. I want it bad.’ It took a lot of heart just to continue with that.”

Back in Stillwater, Okla., the work doesn’t stop. With the 2028 Summer Olympics in the distance, Hendrickson is already back in the training room. A different kind of gold is on his mind now – achieved by similar means.

“This was a really big benchmark and it was something exciting that happened. It’s not a time to take the foot off the gas. We’re still getting that work in and grinding. I still have a lot of stuff I can improve on. I want to improve on everything I can. I’m just excited to keep the ball rolling. I’m still hungry. I’m excited. Yeah, it was nice. But I’m not content yet. I’ve still got more goals I want to achieve.”

As for what’s beyond that, Hendrickson isn’t quite sure. At the end of his competitive career, he’ll serve in the Air Force for at least five years. Could that competitive career also include MMA? Only time will tell.

“I think that’s an exciting journey,” Hendrickson said. “Obviously, I respect fighters. They’re very tough. For me to make that crossover, I haven’t had much experience in hand-to-hand combat outside of wrestling. I think I definitely need to develop as a fighter because, as you know, I can’t just step into that arena and expect to rise to the top off the bat. It’s going to be a tough transition if I decide to do that. Maybe in the future. Maybe, we’ll see. Getting punched in the head doesn’t sound like it’s super fun, so until I’m going to be confident that I’m going to dodge some of those big blows, we’ll see what happens.”

Daniel Cormier: UFC champ Islam Makhachev is ‘not afraid’ of Ilia Topuria

Daniel Cormier fires back at the notion that elite UFC lightweights are afraid of Ilia Topuria.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] is firing back at the notion that elite lightweight are afraid of [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag].

Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who is vacating the UFC featherweight title to move up to the lightweight division, recently said he’s targeting a title shot vs. [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) or a No. 1 contender bout with Charles Oliveira for his next fight. However, he thinks both men want no part of him.

UFC Hall of Famer and commentator Cormier disputes that claim, and although he has immense respect for Topuria’s skillset, he doesn’t think casting a narrative that fear is involved, is utterly off base.

“The important thing is, all the conversation surrounds Ilia Topuria right now,” Cormier said Friday on his YouTube channel. “Ilia said that he wants a title fight. Point blank. He said he’s focusing all of his training (on Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira). … Ilia Topuria is a cool guy, but I kind of disagree. I know for sure Islam Makhachev is not afraid of him.

“I’ll tell you this as a person that’s a friend of Islam, a person that’s known Islam for years and years. He’s not afraid of him. Ilia Topuria might strike some fear in most, or some, Islam’s not afraid of him. And I’ll be honest with you: Neither is Justin Gaethje. Neither is Charles Oliveira. Neither is Dustin Poirier, or Michael Chandler. Those guys aren’t afraid of each other. They’re fighters, and when you’re a fighter, fear is kind of the last thing that crosses your mind in regards to another fighter, especially if all you have to do is fight him.”

Cormier said he understands why Makhachev may not want to face Topuria. His record-setting lightweight title reign has been criticized for being filled with opponent who are undersized or underprepared, and he doesn’t want that perception to continue.

Ultimately, though, Cormier said Makhachev vs. Topuria is a box office fight for the UFC, and if it’s all about the money, then any matchup offers for Topuria should be considered seriously.

“Islam doesn’t want to fight someone who has been at 145. Charles wants a title fight,” Cormier said. “There’s so many people that have a clear idea of what their direction is, and that’s why I think they don’t want to fight Ilia. But ultimately, to fight Ilia, is to be in the biggest fight that the weight class can give you right now.”

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UFC on ESPN 64: How to watch Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg, start time, Mexico City fight card, odds, more

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC on ESPN 64 on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC is back in Mexico for the second straight year Saturday with UFC on ESPN 64 in Mexico City.

Here’s how to watch UFC on ESPN 64 with a former flyweight champion in the headlining spot against a recent title challenger.

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC on ESPN 64 has a main card that starts at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The preliminary card streams on ESPN+ at noon ET.

Veteran broadcaster [autotag]Dan Hellie[/autotag] serves as desk anchor and host at UFC on ESPN 64.

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] and retired veteran welterweight [autotag]Alan Jouban[/autotag] join him at the desk as analysts at the desk.

Longtime UFC correspondent [autotag]Megan Olivi[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC on ESPN 64 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC on ESPN 64.

He’ll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] and [autotag]Laura Sanko[/autotag].

It’s the second time the trio has called a UFC event and first time since UFC 293 in September 2023.

(Mike Bohn—MMA Junkie)

Jon Anik, Laura Sanko, Daniel Cormier | UFC 293 commentary team

Main event: Brandon Moreno

Record: 23-8-2 MMA, 11-4-2 UFC
Opponent: Steve Erceg (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Key wins: Amir Albazi, Deiveson Figueiredo (twice), Kai Kara-France (twice), Brandon Royval
Misc.: Two-time flyweight champ Moreno got back on track in November with a win over Amir Albazi. He had back-to-back split decision losses to current champ Alexandre Pantoja, in which he lost the title, and Brandon Royval. The loss to Royval came in a Mexico City headliner a little more than a year ago.

Brandon Moreno

Main event: Steve Erceg

Record: 12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC
Opponent: Brandon Moreno (23-8-2 MMA, 11-4-2 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Key wins: Matt Schnell
Misc.: Like Moreno, Erceg’s two-fight skid started with a loss to the current champ, Pantoja, in a May 2024 title fight. His shot at getting back on track was derailed in the first round by Kai Kara-France this past August with a knockout at UFC 305 – the first time Erceg was finished.

May 4, 2024; Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BRAZIL; Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) fights against Steve Erceg (blue gloves) during UFC 301 at Rio Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports

Co-main event: Drew Dober

Record: 27-14 MMA, 13-10 UFC
Opponent: Manuel Torres (15-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Ricky Glenn, King Green, Terrance McKinney, Alexander Hernandez
Misc.: Dober has back-to-back losses and setbacks in three of his past four fights, though he also has a pair of bonuses in there – the seventh and eighth of his lengthy UFC tenure.

Jul 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Drew Dober (red gloves) bleeds from above his eye while fighting Jean Silva (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Co-main event: Manuel Torres

Record: 15-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC
Opponent: Drew Dober (27-14 MMA, 13-10 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Chris Duncan
Misc.: Torres delivered last year in front of his home fans in Mexico with a first-round submission of Chris Duncan for a post-fight bonus. But at UFC 306 at The Sphere in Las Vegas this past September, he was knocked out by Ignacio Bahamondes and had his six-fight winning streak snapped.

Manuel Torres def. Chris Duncan, UFC Fight Night 237

UFC debut: David Martinez

Record: 11-1
Opponent: Saimon Oliveira (18-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Misc.: Martinez won on DWCS in October to get a contract, and he’ll put it to use for the first time in front of his home fans in Mexico. The former Combate Global champion has nine of his 11 wins by knockout.

UFC debut: Ateba Gautier

Record: 6-1
Opponent: Jose Daniel Medina (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Misc.: The 22-year-old from Cameroon had a second-round knockout on DWCS this past September to punch his ticket. Five of his six wins have been by knockout, and they happen to be his last five straight – including four in the opening round.

UFC on ESPN 64 main card betting odds

MAIN CARD (ESPN2/ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Brandon Moreno -245 vs. Steve Erceg +200
  • Drew Dober -120 vs. Manuel Torres +100
  • Kelvin Gastelum +250 vs. Joe Pyfer -310
  • Vince Morales +370 vs. Raul Rosas Jr. -485
  • David Martinez -410 vs. Saimon Oliveira +320
  • Kevin Borjas +125 vs. Ronaldo Rodriguez -150

UFC on ESPN 64 prelim betting odds

Nov 11, 2023; New York, NY, USA; Loopy Godinez (blue gloves) celebrates beating Tabatha Ricci (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2/ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Edgar Chairez -260 vs. CJ Vergara +210
  • Ateba Gautier -440 vs. Jose Daniel Medina +340
  • Melquizael Costa +140 vs. Christian Rodriguez -170
  • Loopy Godinez -265 vs. Julia Polastri +215
  • Rafa Garcia -485 vs. Vinc Pichel +370/li>
  • Jamall Emmers -375 vs. Gabriel Miranda +295
  • Austin Hubbard +145 vs. MarQuel Mederos -165

UFC on ESPN 64 preview videos

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 64.

Daniel Cormier warns Tom Aspinall of provoking Jon Jones

Daniel Cormier knows first hand what it’s like to beef with UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and then fight him.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] knows first hand what it’s like to beef with UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and then fight him.

Cormier engaged in one of the biggest rivalries in UFC history with Jones, which resulted in two title fights. Cormier lost both fights to Jones – with their rematch being overturned to a no contest after Jones tested positive for a banned substance.

Interim heavyweight champion [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) has been continuously poking at Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) to try and get his long-awaited title-unification bout. He showed up with a rubber duck to Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 255 event at The O2 in London.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHhKVPusPx-/

Cormier warns Aspinall that fighting Jones will be a different experience than anything he’s gone through before.

“He’s very mean,” Cormier said of Jones on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Sonnen. “He’s durable, he’s hard to fight, and Tom Aspinall is going to find that out, right? So yes, Chael, I love the duck, I love all the fun, I love all that, but at the end of the day when you get in there with that dude, don’t start rethinking things. Because (if) you start rethinking things in there with that dude, he’s going to run right through you. You cannot start going, ‘Hey, man, it’s a little harder than I thought,’ because he is going to put it on you.”

Aspinall provided a positive update on his fight with Jones after meeting with UFC brass this past week. The Brit has torn through his competition, with his past five wins all coming by Round 1 knockout, most recently when he defended his interim title against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304.

Cormier doubts Aspinall will have another quick night against Jones and is curious to see how he handles the later rounds.

“I don’t believe Aspinall feels that way,” Cormier continued. “You know what the craziest thing is about being Tom Aspinall and being young and winning? The fans and the world can really make you go, ‘I am going to get this dude.’ And then you’re in there and you start losing, and you’re like, ‘God dang it, how am I losing?’ How does he deal with that if that starts to show itself in the fight or a long fight, because it’s going to be hard to get Jon Jones out of there in a minute.”

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Daniel Cormier hopes for better ending to Conor McGregor’s UFC career

If Conor McGregor never fights again, Daniel Cormier thinks his lasting UFC memory is an unfortunate one.

If [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] never fights again, [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks his lasting UFC memory is an unfortunate one.

It’s been almost four years since McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) last fought when he broke his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. McGregor has planned his return on numerous occasions and was even booked to fight Michael Chandler last June at UFC 303 before withdrawing due to a broken pinky toe.

There has been no word on McGregor fighting since then, which has many speculating if he’ll ever return. If “The Notorious” is indeed done, Cormier says his final moment in the octagon could overshadow the remarkable career that shot him to superstardom.

“For me, it’s kind of sad because of this: It’s like, when a guy comes, and he’s that successful, and he’s that good, you hope that the last time you see him in the octagon is him fighting – even if it’s him losing,” Cormier said on his “Funky and the Champ” show with Ben Askren. “You don’t want the last memory is him sitting in the octagon with a broken leg, yelling at Dustin Poirier’s wife. It was the craziest vision I’ve ever seen. It felt like when he got here, everything was fresh, new, and it felt genuine. Then he went to nice Conor when him and Dustin fought in Abu Dhabi. Nice Conor was more preposterous than him doing what he did after the fight with Dustin the (third) time.

“Because he was holding Dustin’s liquor, they were hugging each other. It was the most odd thing I’d ever seen because that was not what we had come to expect from Conor McGregor. He gets beat by Dustin Poirier, then he goes all the way back to the other guy, but even more to the right. He was more loud, he was more obnoxious, he was nasty, talking about Dustin’s wife and all these things. He was more nasty, so even that felt forced. Then when he broke his leg, he was sitting on the ground yelling and screaming. It was almost like he was a rich guy who didn’t get his way, and there is nothing he could do about it, and he was acting out because of it. That’s like a sad visual for me after all that he became to the sport of mixed martial arts.”

McGregor has kept busy outside of the octagon as part owner of BKFC and most recently diving into Irish politics. The former UFC two-division met with with President Donald Trump at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day “to raise the issues the people of Ireland face.”

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How Daniel Cormier believes Alex Pereira has maxed after UFC 313

After UFC 313, Daniel Cormier doesn’t think heavyweight would have been a good idea for Alex Pereira.

After UFC 313, [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] doesn’t think heavyweight would’ve been a good idea for [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag].

Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost his light heavyweight title to Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) by unanimous decision in Saturday’s main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Had Pereira won, many speculated a move up to heavyweight to chase a third UFC title would have been next. However, after Cormier saw Ankalaev push Pereira against the fence and take his best shots, he questions whether “Poatan” would have had success competing up another division.

“When we watched Saturday and watched him and Ankalaev fight, it gives me the idea that he has kind of maxed out the weight he can go up,” Cormier said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Sonnen. “I don’t think he is strong enough to deal with anyone bigger.

“The amount of pressure Ankalaev was able to generate without the danger coming back at him like we expected, those heavyweights will walk right through what he was throwing at him.”

For now, it appears heavyweight is off the table for Pereira after UFC CEO Dana White quashed talks of a potential fight against champion Jon Jones. A title fight is likely next for Pereira, though, as the promotion is gearing toward an immediate rematch with Ankalaev.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.