Daniel Cormier: Fabricio Werdum ‘should have kept his mouth shut’

MEXICO CITY — Daniel Cormier doesn’t think Fabricio Werdum meant to insult Cain Velasquez. But he also thinks the UFC interim heavyweight champion would have been better off staying quiet.

The UFC light heavyweight champion, in town to corner Velasquez, the UFC heavyweight champion, knows that while Velasquez doesn’t talk much trash, he does take personal slights to heart. And Werdum’s comment that he is “more Mexican” than Velasquez is being taken personally.

“The last guy who said things about Cain was Junior [dos Santos], he said he hits soft,” Cormier said at Thursday’s UFC 188 media day at the Hyatt Regency. “And he got beat up twice. So I think Fabricio would have been better off keeping quiet.”

Cormier was present when Velasquez refused to shake hands with Werdum as the two ran into one another at the fighter hotel earlier this week. Cormier, who shook hands with Werdum, said he didn’t know about Werdum’s comments when the incident took place.

“I’ve known Fabricio, I’ve known him for years,” Cormier said. “When I see him I go over and shake his hand. I hadn’t seen that Embedded thing, and I didn’t know what was going on. So, I saw what happened with them and then after, I asked what happened. He explained to me, and I was like, ‘oh s—,”

“He should have just kept his mouth shut,” Cormier continued. “I mean, he was going to lose anyway, but it would have been like Bigfoot [Silva], you take your whupping and you keep moving on.”

At heart, though, Cormier doesn’t believe Werdum meant the comment the way it came across.

“Fabricio insulted his pride,” Cormier said. “And I bet it was tongue in cheek by Werdum, I bet it wasn’t meant that way, but you don’t say it to that guy.”

MEXICO CITY — Daniel Cormier doesn’t think Fabricio Werdum meant to insult Cain Velasquez. But he also thinks the UFC interim heavyweight champion would have been better off staying quiet.

The UFC light heavyweight champion, in town to corner Velasquez, the UFC heavyweight champion, knows that while Velasquez doesn’t talk much trash, he does take personal slights to heart. And Werdum’s comment that he is “more Mexican” than Velasquez is being taken personally.

“The last guy who said things about Cain was Junior [dos Santos], he said he hits soft,” Cormier said at Thursday’s UFC 188 media day at the Hyatt Regency. “And he got beat up twice. So I think Fabricio would have been better off keeping quiet.”

Cormier was present when Velasquez refused to shake hands with Werdum as the two ran into one another at the fighter hotel earlier this week. Cormier, who shook hands with Werdum, said he didn’t know about Werdum’s comments when the incident took place.

“I’ve known Fabricio, I’ve known him for years,” Cormier said. “When I see him I go over and shake his hand. I hadn’t seen that Embedded thing, and I didn’t know what was going on. So, I saw what happened with them and then after, I asked what happened. He explained to me, and I was like, ‘oh s—,”

“He should have just kept his mouth shut,” Cormier continued. “I mean, he was going to lose anyway, but it would have been like Bigfoot [Silva], you take your whupping and you keep moving on.”

At heart, though, Cormier doesn’t believe Werdum meant the comment the way it came across.

“Fabricio insulted his pride,” Cormier said. “And I bet it was tongue in cheek by Werdum, I bet it wasn’t meant that way, but you don’t say it to that guy.”