Tag: Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier breaks down Weili-Jedrzejczyk classic from UFC 248 in new ‘Detail’ on ESPN+

UFC 248 is only a little more than two weeks old, and the co-main event already is an all-time classic.

UFC 248 is only a little more than two weeks old, and the co-main event already is an all-time classic.

Monday on ESPN+, former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] will do a deep dive into the women’s strawweight title bout between champ [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and former champ [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a new episode of “Detail.” The show airs at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Weili beat Jedrzejczyk with a split decision to retain her title in her first defense after winning the belt from Jessica Andrade in 2019. There was an argument to be made that Jedrzejczyk did enough to win the fight. But regardless of the outcome, the fight was close enough and bloody enough to go down as arguably the best fight in women’s MMA history and had many fans and analysts talking about the need for a rematch straight away.

Cormier, who along with being an all-time great fighter also works as an analyst on UFC broadcasts, will break down the fight and give his take on “Detail.”

But what did you think of the “Fight of the Night” classic? How did you score it? Weigh in below in our poll, and then don’t miss Cormier’s breakdown on Monday’s new episode.

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Daniel Cormier: Location for Stipe Miocic trilogy ‘ideal,’ hints Kamaru Usman will share card

Daniel Cormier’s retirement inches closer, and the former UFC champ has dished some new details about his final fight.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag]’s send-off from MMA is inching closer to reality, and his excitement level is cranking up as the details start to get sorted.

Although discussions have somewhat hit a standstill due to the uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic, Cormier (22-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) said his conversations with the UFC about a trilogy bout with heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic have him very excited about the event.

“I know we’re in a crazy time right with the world and the way things are, and it’s very up in the air,” Cormier said Friday on Instagram Live. “But I think for me with the way things are going and the discussions we had heading into all this, the way that the discussions and the terms of the fight was going, man, where I am going to fight this guy, for my last fight, it’s going to be as ideal for me as I could’ve ever hoped for. It’s going to be beautiful.”

The former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion did not delve into further details about where his retirement fight will take place. Two possible locations could be San Francisco, Calif., which is not far from where Cormier lives and trains in San Jose, or New Orleans, which is in Cormier’s home state.

One further hint Cormier did offer, though, is that another UFC champion could join him on the card. The Instagram Live chat was hosted by current welterweight king [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC), who is in negotiations to defend his title against Jorge Masvidal this year.

According to Cormier, the stars appear to be aligning for the two anticipated title fights to share a date.

“I think the way things are falling, you and I may be spending more time together than most people,” Cormier said to Usman. “Obviously we can’t say a day and time yet, but it’s looking like you and I shall, and will, be spending a party together.”

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Whether the details flesh out as Cormier sees them cannot be determined until contracts are signed. However, what “DC” can say with certainty is that the third fight with Miocic will be his last dance. Cormier turned 41 on Friday, and he said that’s only reaffirmed his thoughts on retirement.

“I got one,” Cormier said. “Some guy asked me today, ‘You going to keep fighting?’ I said, ‘No, I got one.’ Some of these guys are very young. I don’t have to fight a young guy. Miocic is about to be 38 years old. I got to fight one old guy one more time. That’s it. I ain’t fighting no 27-year-old dude.”

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Stipe Miocic expects summer trilogy with Daniel Cormier: ‘He’s going to lose again’

Stipe Miocic’s health is rapidly improving and the UFC heavyweight champion is ready to send Daniel Cormier into retirement.

[autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag]’s health is rapidly improving and the UFC heavyweight champion says he is ready to put the final nail in the coffin of [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag]’s career.

All signs point to a third and final encounter between Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) and Cormier (22-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) going down this summer. It’s what the UFC brass wants, it’s what “DC” wants, but the hangup has come from the champion, who has been dealing with a lingering eye injury stemming from the previous fight between the pair at UFC 241 in August.

Miocic has made it clear all along that he intends to be patient with his recovery. It’s taken some time, but he’s apparently now in a good place.

“Eye is really good actually,” Miocic told TMZ. “It’s healed up, it’s getting better every day and getting back to training slowly.”

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In recent months Miocic has teased that he’s not all that interested in fighting Cormier again next. He’s mentioned a rematch with Francis Ngannou, and even challenged boxing champion Tyson Fury along the way.

Now that it’s real, though, he said he will defend his title against whoever the UFC deems to be, and that’s Cormier.

“It’s looking like summer,” Miocic said. “I think a lot of these fight (dates) are booked up, so probably about summertime. Yeah, (the Cormier trilogy is) what the UFC wants. I’m not the matchmaker. If I was the matchmaker, I wouldn’t be fighting.”

A final showdown between Miocic and Cormier will cap off one of the great trilogies in UFC history, and certainly at heavyweight. Cormier, then the light heavyweight champ, won the initial meeting by first-round knockout at UFC 226 in July 2018, then Miocic reclaimed the belt with a fourth-round knockout in the rematch at UFC 241.

Cormier has said that, win or lose, the next fight will be his last. The goal on his side is to go out on a high, but for Miocic, it’s to defend his title and hand Cormier a loss he’ll have to sit on for the rest of his life.

“It sucks for him,” Miocic said. “He’s going to lose again.”

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Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier had a hilarious reaction to stunning KO at UFC 248

Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier LOVED this KO.

UFC 248’s main event on Saturday night did not put on the type of violent show that fight fans had hoped to see, but a few other matchups on the card sure didn’t disappoint at all.

The co-main event between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and strawweight champ Weili Zhang was one of the greatest fights you’ll ever see. Zhang got the W to defend her belt via unanimous decision after five incredible rounds, while Jedrzejczyk suffered some dangerous looking damage.

But the fight before that between Beneil Dariush and Drakkar Klose had the finish of the night as Dariush knocked out Klose after a wild exchange of punches.

Announcers Joe Rogan, Daniel Cormier, and Jon Anik had an incredible reaction to that KO:

Here’s what they were saying:

And here’s the three of them enjoying the bedlam.

Good times.

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Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier lost their minds watching Beneil Dariush’s knockout at UFC 248

We were all right there with them.

Beneil Dariush, you did your job right on Saturday night.

You gave us one hell of a finish when you knocked out Drakkar Klose in the second round of your fight at UFC 248 to cap off a wild, amazing sequence.

Not only that, you induced this reaction from Joe Rogan and [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] cageside:

You, sir, are a hero.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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The MMA Road Show with John Morgan, No. 258 – Las Vegas – UFC 248 preview

“The MMA Road Show with John Morgan” No. 258 features Israel Adesanya, Yoel Romero, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Sean O’Malley and Daniel Cormier.

Episode No. 258 of “The MMA Road Show with John Morgan” podcast is now available for streaming and download.

MMA Junkie lead staff reporter John Morgan hosts the show while traveling the world to cover the sport.

John Morgan and Cold Coffee sit down to preview an exciting UFC 248 card in Las Vegas and utilize the help of fellow MMA Junkies Mike Bohn, Nolan King and Danny Segura to bring you talk from [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag], [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag], [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag], [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag].

Check it out on iTunes or at themmaroadshow.com. You can also subscribe via RSS.

Former UFC champ Daniel Cormier honored as first to 50 clean USADA tests

Daniel Cormier was the first MMA athlete under the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency program to reach 50 clean drug tests.

LAS VEGAS – Former two-weight UFC champion [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] was the first MMA athlete under the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency program to reach 50 “flawless” drug tests, and Thursday he was honored for it.

During a presentation at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Cormier (22-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC), the former champ at heavyweight and light heavyweight, was given a custom letterman’s jacket by UFC VPs of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky and Donna Marcolini for his achievement.

Cormier, 41, is the second UFC athlete to be recognized for hitting the 50-test milestone of clean samples. Former women’s bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm was recently given the same distinction, however, Cormier reached the mark first.

Cormier’s clean drug test history dates back before his MMA career, as well. He has more than 30 additional test results from USADA dating back to his amateur wrestling career, bringing his lifetime mark above 80.

“I’ve done a lot of things in my career, and honestly, this is one of the more proud things that I’ve accomplished,” Cormier said. “To be able to compete at a high level for a long time and still have these, to receive something like this – 85 tests (overall), all clean tests. To do it the right way means a ton to me.

“Being a guy that wants to encourage youth sports, youth athletics – you have to do things the right way, or else your message goes above a kid’s head. I’m so extremely proud of this honor.”

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In the debut year of the UFC/USADA partnership, Cormier submitted four clean samples. He provided 11 in 2016, 13 in 2017, 16 in 2018, nine in 2019 and has one so far in 2020. Many fighters have experienced test failures along the way (some legitimate and others not). Cormier has felt the wrath of that, such as when his UFC 200 fight with Jon Jones was called off just three days prior when his rival was flagged with a potential violation.

Cormier said the key to reaching the 50-test mark has been avoiding the serious substances like true steroids, but also being diligent elsewhere. Some fighters have been impacted by tainted supplements or accidentally ingesting a substance they shouldn’t have. None of that has happened to Cormier, and he said it takes not only being mindful himself, but also having a good support system.

“When I was a young kid, I was Superman. I didn’t even have to take supplements,” Cormier said. “I just kind of did what I did. But now, as an older man, I do have to take a lot of things. And before I take anything, we make sure to call Jeff. He’s very open and knowledgable with his phone line and you can just go on USADA’s website and check to see if that supplement you’re about to take is going to be an issue. You have the resources to not make mistakes, but I take what my nutritionist gives me.”

Cormier admitted there are moments over the course of his athletic lifespan that he could’ve slipped up and done something foolish, but he always stayed true to the mentality of being a clean athlete, and said he will continue that going forward.

“To get here where I am today, I was blessed with a lot of gifts, a lot of talents – naturally,” Cormier said. “I didn’t want to forsake that by trying to enhance myself. I was going to be as good as I was going to be –nothing more, nothing less. You can’t cheat that. I wasn’t going to risk my long-term health for some more money or a couple championships. I’ve got enough of them. I got to live my life in the spotlight, and I just did it through hard work. When you keep those things in perspective, there’s no temptation. I was never tempted to do anything like that.”

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Javier Mendez says Daniel Cormier wasn’t 100 percent for Stipe Miocic rematch, wants trilogy fight

“He’s set on Stipe, snd if he doesn’t get Stipe, then that will probably be it.”

Javier Mendez wants to see the trilogy fight.

The head coach of American Kickboxing Academy hopes the UFC books a third bout between current heavyweight champ [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] and former heavyweight and light heavyweight title holder [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag]. The two first fought at UFC 226 in 2018, where Cormier knocked out Miocic to become champ-champ, as he already held the 205-pound title. They would later rematch a year later at UFC 241, and that time Miocic managed to stop Cormier in the third round of their contest to regain his belt. It was one of the best heavyweight championship fights in UFC history.

Although Mendez appreciates the adjustments Miocic did to comeback and beat Cormier at UFC 241, Mendez says his pupil wasn’t fully ready for the fight.

“Well, you know, we all make excuses, we all say this and that, and I’m good at making excuses, too, you know, because I’ve done it,” Mendez told MMA Junkie. “But the bottom line is I like to tell the truth. It does come out as an excuse, but Daniel just did have surgery not too long after that fight. He was not 100 percent going in.

“He was good. He was ready for the title bout, don’t get me wrong, but he wasn’t the same as he was the first fight, straight up. And I know it doesn’t sound good to say that, but I’ll take the heat. It’s fine, blast away, I’m fine with that. It’s the truth, though.”

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Cormier told ESPN he had back surgery in December 2018 after his first heavyweight title defense against Derrick Lewis. Cormier than returned to the octagon in July for the rematch against Miocic, where he lost the title.

Mendez thinks Cormier didn’t have the time needed to recover and fully gain the mobility to be in the right shape for the fight. Regardless, Mendez admires Miocic’s performance and gives him full credit for the win.

“Stipe won fair and square,” Mendez said. “He hit beautiful body shots. He recovered. He was losing all the rounds; he recovered fantastic. I mean, hey, if I’ve got to say anything, man, props to him.

“He came back from adversity and he pulled it off. So man, there’s a lot to be said for how he did; only a true champion can do that. Champion of champions, they do that, and he did that. So they’re both in the same categories of being champions of champions, you know. And they both pulled it off and they both proved it. So a trilogy fight would be a great one between two great champions.”

Mendez wants the Miocic trilogy next. However, Miocic recently recovered from an eye injury, and he’s also expressed interest in pursing boxing upon return. Mendez is confident the trilogy between Miocic and Cormeir will go down next and says “DC” won’t accept any other fight.

“He’s set on Stipe,” Mendez said. “And if he doesn’t get Stipe, then that will probably be it. So that would be in the best interest of the UFC, if they want to save one marquee fight, which is a great trilogy – one of the best trilogies they’ve had.

“So they’re both 1-1, so it’s a great trilogy fight in the heavyweight division. I think the UFC is very smart, and I would believe and I’m 100 percent thinking they’re going to say that’s the fight to make.”

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