Daniel Cormier doesn’t agree with cries of robbery following the result of the UFC 284 main event this past weekend (Feb. 11, 2023).
UFC champions, Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski, had an ultra-competitive battle in the promotion’s return to Australia. In the end, it was the burgeoning Aussie icon, Volkanovski, who came up short via a unanimous decision (watch highlights).
The fight was close enough that both sides had strong cases to be made regarding the rightful winner. As there generally is with any close high-profile match up, however, several within the community felt it a new dual-division champion should have been crowned. Makhachev’s former teammate and once double titlist, Cormier, disagreed with the reactions.
“He [Makhachev] was landing a lot of damaging shots and he won the fight,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel (h/t MMA News). “So the feigned outrage that was online was unfair because it’s not real, it’s not real. There was no reason for people to seem upset at the result of that fight because Makhachev won.”
Makhachev (known for his dominant wrestling game) went toe-to-toe with the Featherweight kingpin more often than not in their five-round classic. Despite his willingness to engage, Makhachev still registered four official takedowns, but sought his goal of finding a knockout win.
“As great as Volkanovski fought, and he did fight great … Makhachev fought for extended periods of time on his feet,” Cormier said. “And for so many people, and for so long, people talk about it’s wrestle or nothing for Makhachev … But it wasn’t just wrestle or nothing for Makhachev. It was wrestle if you could, but then it was stand and strike if you needed to, and that’s exactly what he had to do for long periods of time in this fight.”
For complete UFC 284: “Makhachev vs. Volkanovski” results and play-by-play, click HERE.