Tag: Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier concerned with Sean Strickland’s mental health struggles: ‘That’s a plea for help’

Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier urges people to take Sean Strickland’s vents on mental health seriously.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] urges people to take seriously [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]’s vents on mental health.

Former UFC middleweight champion Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) recently opened up about his mental health struggles and claimed he was “mentally unwell” and a “danger to people.”

Strickland has been vocal about his childhood trauma in the past, and Cormier thinks his constant statements about his mental health is a cause for concern.

“Sean Strickland is a guy that has a very, very dark past,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “We all know that. But that dark past has served to make him a world-champion fighter and a guy that is willing to go through so much adversity. Go through so many ups and downs, never lose sight of the goal and what’s in front of him, and has made himself a former world champion. …He said that he’s rich, and still can’t get past the hurdles mentally. I want to make sure that, we as the consumer, treat this in the same manner, in which we treated Alexander Volkanovski when he spoke about his issues mentally.

“When speaking mental health and mental issues, I believe that all the biases or the opinions we have of this certain fighter whether you love him or you hate him, have to take a back seat and we have to look at the human being. When Volk said he was in his own head, we all rushed to speak to him, his strength, and how much anyone was willing to help. We need to make sure we do the same thing for Sean Strickland. …That’s a plea for help. So we as the mixed martial arts community, should rush to his side again. Just like we did for Alexander Volkanovski.”

Strickland is currently campaigning for an immediate rematch with Dricus Du Plessis, who dethroned him with a close decision win to claim the middleweight title at UFC 297 in January.

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Why Daniel Cormier thinks Jake Paul is in a ‘no-win situation’ boxing Mike Tyson

Daniel Cormier says Jake Paul has nothing to gain in beating Mike Tyson.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] says [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] has nothing to gain in beating [autotag]Mike Tyson[/autotag].

YouTuber-turned-pro boxer Paul (9-1) meets boxing legend Tyson (50-6) on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. The event will stream live for Netflix subscribers.

Tyson is a Hall of Fame world champion boxer, and one of the most famed athletes in history. Cormier thinks Paul would turn fans against him if he was able to put a beating on the much older Tyson, who will be 58 when he steps into the ring against Paul.

“Mike Tyson’s going to be in there at almost 60! Bro, he’s 15 years older than me, almost,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Can you just beat on Mike Tyson? It might ruin (Paul) if he just beats on Mike Tyson. He’s in a no-win situation.

“I don’t know that he thought this one through as much as he probably should have. If you just go out there and you just beat the sh*t out of Mike Tyson, everybody’s going to be really mad at you. If he knocks Mike out, if he just, starches Mike Tyson, it might be over, bro.”

Paul went from boxing UFC notables such as Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz, to relatively unknown professional boxers in Andre August and Ryan Bourland. Now he takes on fan-favorite Tyson, and Cormier questions his decision to fight him.

“He’s very lovable, and that’s the danger in this fight,” Cormier said. “I don’t know. I think Jake Paul might have made a mistake on this one because if he beats up on Mike, dude is in trouble.”

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For more on the fight, visit MMA Junkie’s hub for Paul vs. Tyson.

Daniel Cormier: UFC champ Sean O’Malley ‘continues to improve at a rate that is kind of unmatched’

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley impressed Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier in his first title defense in the main event of UFC 299.

UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] had a lot of praise for bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] after recording his first title defense at UFC 299 in Miami.

O’Malley swept the scorecards in a rematch against Marlon Vera, avenging a prior loss in 2020. Cormier was impressed with “Sugar’s” performance in which he landed 230 significant strikes over 25 minutes, and believes the fighter we saw at Kaseya Center was much more improved than the one we saw in August when he won the title by stopping Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292.

“From the very start of the fight, you could see that we weren’t watching the same Sean O’Malley that we saw in Boston, and that was only a few months ago,” Cormier said in a video on his YouTube channel. “The guy continues to improve at a rate that is kind of unmatched by many. His angles, his creativity – ‘Chito’ Vera is traditionally a slow starter, but he starts to build as the fight goes on. But Sean never allowed him to.”

O’Malley wanted Vera to be his first title defense so that he could prove the result of their first meeting at UFC 252 was a mistake due to an injury that led to the first-round TKO stoppage.

“He told us that the first fight was a fluke, because he was piecing ‘Chito’ up. It wasn’t as evident as it was tonight,” Cormier said. “Tonight it was very clear that Sean O’Malley was piecing ‘Chito’ up, because that’s exactly what he was doing. He fought beautifully. He was presented a canvas and he painted a masterpiece. His striking was next level.”

Beyond getting his revenge, O’Malley now has a much larger feather in his cap. He performed in front of 19,165 fans at the sold-out Kaseya Center, which brought in a $14.14M gate that broke the UFC’s own record at the venue. It was also the fourth highest-grossing UFC event of all time, according to UFC CEO Dana White.

“So many people didn’t want to give this kid credit for how good he was because it felt like he was getting preferential treatment from the UFC,” Cormier said. “… Not everybody moves the needle like Sean O’Malley. Even if there was preferential treatment, it was because of the company having the foresight to see what Sean O’Malley could be down the line, and now the investment is starting to pay dividends.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Daniel Cormier impressed how Umar Nurmagomedov fought on instinct after knockdown at UFC Fight Night 238

Daniel Cormier had high praise for how Umar Nurmagomedov handled adversity at UFC Fight Night 238.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] had high praise for how [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] handled adversity at UFC Fight Night 238.

Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) was knocked down early by newcomer Bekzat Almakhan in their main card bout Saturday but rallied to dominate him on the ground for the unanimous decision win.

Cormier, a training partner of Nurmagomedov’s, said the undefeated contender was badly rocked by Almakhan, but used his wrestling instincts to survive.

“I was talking to him in the octagon, and I showed him the video. I said, ‘How hurt were you by the punch from Almakhan?'” Cormier said on his ESPN show “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “He goes, ‘I don’t really know,’ and I showed him. And he goes, ‘Now I understand.’ The dude didn’t even recognize that he had gotten hurt as bad as he did. He got knocked down early in the fight, looked at the replay, and for the first time was recognizing what happened to him. So what that tells me, and this to me is what’s most impressive, he did that all on instinct. As a competitor myself, I have given up takedowns, I have gotten hit with things in the fight.

“When I went to my stool after Anthony Johnson knocked me down to the floor, I was thinking about the start of the next round to make sure that it didn’t happen again. Umar Nurmagomedov never went back there. He never remembered it, so I think it’s so impressive that he was able to operate on pure instinct for the next 13 minutes, and he was able to operate without going back to that moment. That’s very impressive, and I think him being able to do all that without any thought, makes him very dangerous for anyone in the weight class.”

Nurmagomedov called for his fight with Cory Sandhagen to be rebooked, as he continues his struggle to land a ranked opponent.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 238.

UFC 299 commentary team, broadcast plans set: Lead PPV team with Joe Rogan gets first call of 2024

The UFC’s lead commentary team of Jon Anik, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier will call its first card of 2024 at UFC 299 in Miami.

The third numbered UFC event of 2024 is rapidly approaching with UFC 299 on Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami.

As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there to help guide viewers through the experience.

Details of who will be working as commentators and analysts for the show have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the plans – and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below.

Daniel Cormier takes issue with Nate Diaz saying he’s not a fighter: ‘We are not in the same stratosphere’

The back-and-forth between Daniel Cormier and Nate Diaz continues.

The back-and-forth between [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] and [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] continues.

Diaz fired back at Cormier, after the former two-division champion said he’d rather not see him headline UFC 306, which is the “Noche UFC” event at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

Cormier was not happy with Diaz calling him a b*tch.

“First off, I have no problem with Nate Diaz,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I have no issue with him. I don’t really know Nate. I’ve always respected Nate for what he did inside the octagon. I’m a lot of things, guys, but one thing I’m not is nobody’s b*tch. I’m not a b*tch. So my question is this: When did it become OK for men to start calling each other out their name like that?

“When did that become OK? I don’t disrespect nobody in my assessments of them. I try my best to be as fair as I can. I don’t quite understand why people think it’s OK to attack you in that way, especially calling you outside your name like that. It’s not cool, man. You don’t get to just talk to people any way you want.”

Diaz also said Cormier isn’t a fighter, prompting him to go on a rant by comparing their accolades and resume.

“To say I’m not a fighter, I don’t get it,” Cormier said. “Again, I feel like I was actually pretty fair to this dude because when you really think about it, to say I’m not a fighter, when you really think about it – Nate Diaz was fun, Nate Diaz got to a championship opportunity. But if I’m not a fighter, what’s that make him? What does that make him? If I did what I did, and he did what he did, what’s that make him? One time I was talking to Khabib (Nurmagomedov) when Nate was coming at Khabib, and Khabib said something to the effect of, ‘This man has lost 12 or 13 fights in his career. Daniel, I can’t respond to this guy. I can’t take this guy serious because who loses to that many people?’

“How can you call me not a fighter when you have had those instances? What did I do? I fought the best. I fought the best in the world constantly. So to say I’m not a fighter because I have an opinion on whether or not I want to see him headline the Sphere …

“The reality is, one thing we will not do is compare myself to Nate Diaz, because it’s different levels – much different. I’m a champion – two weight classes. I lost three times in my career – four if you count the fight that was called a no contest (because of a Jon Jones positive test) … four times, two guys. We are on much different wavelengths. We are on much different planets. We are not in the same stratosphere in terms of fighters – we’re not – and it’s time for me to stop allowing people to attack or come at me in these ways when I’m doing my job.”

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Nate Diaz fires back at ‘b*tch’ Daniel Cormier with crying meme in response to UFC 306 criticism

Daniel Cormier had a feeling Nate Diaz would get mad at him for being critical of this stage of his career – and he was right.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] had a feeling [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] would get mad for being critical of this stage of his career – and he was right.

Earlier this week, Cormier released a video on his YouTube channel expressing that he wasn’t keen on Diaz returning to the octagon to headline UFC 306, which the promotion has earmarked as its highly anticipated “Noche UFC” event at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Cormier’s words were in response to a Diaz social media post in which he hinted at wanting to fight at UFC 306.

“While the name value is exciting, Nate Diaz the fighter isn’t that guy anymore,” Cormier said. “He’ll get mad at me, and he might say something to me when I see him. I don’t know, I don’t really care. But we have to tell the truth. This isn’t the guy that beat Conor the first time. Nate has had moments. Against Leon Edwards, he had a moment. But outside of that, he got beat on the whole time.”

Diaz didn’t wait to see Cormier to let him know what he thinks as he posted a meme on X of Cormier crying and calling him a “b*tch” and “not a fighter.”

Cormier did express that he would like to see Diaz compete at UFC 306, only that he would take umbrage with a headlining spot for the 38-year-old who most recently lost a boxing match to Jake Paul last August.

“Will I watch him on the pay-per-view card? Absolutely,” Cormier said. “… But to be the headliner, with all these great fighters that are deserving of that spot? I don’t think so. I don’t need to see that.”

Diaz fought out his contract in September 2022, when he beat Ferguson at UFC 279, a left the UFC shortly after. His only fight since his departure was the boxing match against Paul.

Should Diaz want to return to the octagon, UFC CEO Dana White has said the door is open anytime he’d like.

UPDATE: Cormier issued a response to Diaz calling him “a b*tch” and “not a fighter.”

Daniel Cormier: Ilia Topuria setting himself up for Conor McGregor-like ascent if he delivers promises at UFC 298

Daniel Cormier thinks Ilia Topuria could have a massive breakout moment at UFC 298.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] could have a massive breakout moment at UFC 298.

Topuria (14-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) challenges featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (26-3 MMA, 13-2 UFC) in the Feb. 17 headliner at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Undefeated Topuria’s confidence has been sky-high ahead of his title shot against five-time defending champion Volkanovski. Not only did he already update his social media bio to champion, he predicted a first-round knockout, and has already dismissed Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez, and Brian Ortega as title challengers.

“It seems like all (Topuria) wants to do is put pressure on himself,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “This dude has now said he’s releasing a movie on becoming the champion of the world. This dude has updated his bio with another win and he’s now the UFC featherweight champion.

“This dude has stated he wants to fight in the same stadium where Real Madrid plays football in Spain, This dude has said to anyone that will listen how Alexander Volkanovski cannot compete with him. Most people under these circumstances want to release the pressure – not this dude.”

While many think Topuria is potentially setting himself up for a big fall, Cormier thinks a win could skyrocket his career the same way Conor McGregor did when he dethroned Jose Aldo with a 13-second knockout.

“This reminds me of Conor about to fight Jose Aldo,” Cormier said. “He told you, and he was so sure that he was going to get it done that you knew that if it happened, he would become a star that we had never seen in the UFC before or in fighting. So when it happened, he went to the moon. I feel like Ilia Topuria is setting himself up to have that type of ascent if he can deliver on all of the promises that he is making.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

UFC Fight Night 236 commentary team set: Trio with former champs makes 2024 debut

The commentary team of Brendan Fitzgerald, Dominick Cruz and Daniel Cormier will make its 2024 debut at UFC Fight Night 236 on Saturday.

The UFC continues its February schedule Saturday with UFC Fight Night 236, which goes down at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there in “Sin City” to help guide viewers through the experience.

Details of who will work as commentators and analysts for each event have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the situation, and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below.

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Daniel Cormier: If UFC makes a 165-pound division, Conor McGregor has to fight for the title

Daniel Cormier thinks Conor McGregor should fight for the title if the UFC introduced a 165-pound division.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] should fight for the title if the UFC introduced a 165-pound division.

Often referred to as the super lightweight division, rumors recently emerged that the UFC is looking to add new weight classes – even though UFC CEO Dana White has dismissed that idea in the past.

But if the rumors indeed are true, Cormier argues that the only way you can draw interest to a new division is by attaching a massive name like former dual-champion McGregor, which would garner interest. He thinks the UFC got it wrong when they introduced women’s featherweight, which appears to have dissolved after champion Amanda Nunes retired.

“If you do 165, it has to be Conor,” Cormier said on his “Funky and the Champ” show with Ben Askren. “You’re introducing a new weight class – it has to mean something. You can’t have two normal fighters introducing the weight. Look, it didn’t work at 145 when they did it for the women. It ended up being two people, but if you recall, Germaine de Randamie fought Holly Holm for that championship in Brooklyn.

“It wasn’t a great fight, but Germaine de Randamie won the fight and refused to fight Cris Cyborg. Nobody took it serious until Cris Cyborg became the champion, and when Cyborg became the champion, it wasn’t a problem. The only reason why it worked was because it was Cris Cyborg. That would be the same thing if you add this belt with a guy without a name.”

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) is expected to make his long-awaited return from injury against Michael Chandler, but a date and venue have yet to be announced.

Askren disagrees with Cormier. He says McGregor hasn’t had a meaningful win since 2016, and would not be eligible to fight for any belt – even if he’s a big name.

“McGregor is coming off like four losses, Daniel,” Askren said. “It doesn’t make any sense. If he’s a guy who had won 20 in a row or something – kind of like my situation where I’m like, ‘I’m not going to fight Tyron (Woodley).’ If we are going to try and make a belt for Conor, just make another BMF. Make ‘IMF: Irish Motherf*cker.'”

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