If you think UFC light heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier is sweating Dana White’s ‘stone age’ comments regarding the training habits of San Jose’s American Kickboxing Academy, guess again.
“We have to train hard,” Cormier told Chael Sonnen this week on the latter’s podcast. “Guys get praised for what they do when they come out of this gym. Only good things are said about Luke Rockhold right now. When [UFC heavyweight champion] Cain Velasquez fights, only good things. Myself, all of our guys, not even just the top guys.
“Our guys train really hard and we’re going to continue to do it. We’re going to continue to train hard. We’re going to continue to work our butts off. We’re going to continue to spar hard.”
In the wake of former champion Jon Jones‘ being stripped of the light heavyweight title, Cormier will face Anthony Johnson for the vacant championship in the main event at UFC 187 May 23 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Earlier this week, White elaborated on his concerns of the training habits of select gyms like AKA, saying, ‘You can’t have all the best guys in the world beating the living s**t out of each other every day.’
“We have changed our training a little bit,” Cormier explained. “Like, over the course of the week we’ll go lighter. Cain and I tomorrow, we’ll spar five rounds. We’ll spar five rounds, light. Yesterday, Cain and I fought. We didn’t spar yesterday, we fought. We fought for five rounds and today I’m feeling it. [Cain] says he’s feeling it, but it’s why we will be prepared whenever the Octagon door closes.”
Sonnen brought up Velasquez’s struggles to stay healthy, the champion not having fought since scoring a TKO victory over Junior dos Santos at UFC 166 in October 2013.
Velasquez is booked to headline UFC 188 opposite interim heavyweight champion Fabrício Werdum in Mexico City, Mexico.
“He’s going to walk out there and fight Fabricio Werdum finally,” Cormier said of his teammate. “Get to finally fight in Mexico City. They’ve tried three times. This is the third time they’ve gone to Mexico City with the idea that Cain Velasquez is going to main event the card. This time he’s healthy. This time he looks amazing. The dude’s ready to go. I can’t wait.”
Barring a loss to Vitor Belfort at UFC 187 later this month, middleweight champion Chris Weidman would likely see AKA’s Rockhold named the next No. 1 contender.
Cormier happily took the chance to remind everyone AKA isn’t the only camp with casualties.
“We get a lot of flak, man, but Weidman hasn’t made it to the Octagon as many times as he’s been scheduled, too. So it’s a situation where Chris needs to come out healthy in this [Belfort] fight if him and Luke are going to fight later in the year.”
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Get paid? UFC announces how much (or how little) fighters will be paid through the Reebok uniform deal.
‘These are minimums.’ UFC brass outlines why it believes Reebok compensation terms are a win for fighters. ‘This athlete outfitting policy is going to create guaranteed income, thus eliminating the burden of acquiring sponsors.’
Chat Wrap. Luke Thomas discusses Miocic vs. Hunt, Joe Rogan’s comments on Jon Jones, the Reebok numbers, Metamoris 6 and more in this week’s live chat.
Reebok, explained. Paul Gift crunches the numbers for the new Reebok sponsorship tiers to show fighters and fight fans what the UFC world may look like.
‘We’re fighting for the real belt.’ Daniel Cormier says it’s not his fault Jon Jones got into trouble.
MEDIA STEW
Performance Replay: Valdir ‘Baby Monster’ Araujo vs. Steve Carl from TUF.
DC is setting the bar low for CM Punk.
Nice profile on Kailin Curran.
Tyrone Spong is too expensive.
Fighters least likely to elbow you in the head for talking crap over Facebook.
Dave Chappelle enjoyed Floyd vs. Manny, Adam Carolla did not.
Long watches.
UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs Miocic Care/Don’t Care Preview
TWEETS
See how the pros reacted to the UFC releasing the Reebok pay scale.
More Reebok reactions.
@BellatorMMA Hey! #Reebok
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) May 7, 2015
@ScottCoker Hey Scott, miss your face.
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) May 7, 2015
Ditto https://t.co/6lBCydQtwX
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) May 7, 2015
Too all fighters that want some freedom? @BellatorMMA are welcoming with open arms! Contact @ScottCoker @spike
— Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz) May 7, 2015
Fellow UFC vets, Am I the only one who this deal benefited for in cage appearance? Outside the cage im fine . A lot of discontent out there?
— Scott jorgensen (@Scottjorgensen) May 7, 2015
Lots of talk about Reebok “ending” fighter sponsorship. None of my core sponsors have ever been based on logo placement. #management
— Chris Camozzi (@ChrisCamozzi) May 7, 2015
@DiegoSanchezUFC Haha I’ve been getting shit all day from uneducated fans for calling people cry babies for bitching about this deal
— Ray Borg (@tazmexufc) May 7, 2015
The Reebok payout is comparable to what many entry level fighters make in sponsors. I can’t speak for veterans. #UFC #reebok
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) May 6, 2015
Why complain about something if you don’t plan on doing something about it! ??
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) May 6, 2015
I have done very well in sponsorship for my 2ufc bouts but sponsorship is just a bonus. I get paid to beat my opponents ass @arielhelwani
— Ryan Benoit (@BabyfaceBenoit) May 6, 2015
I am happy to see they got the new @Reebok deal right having 18 fights with #Zuffa I’m happy @ufc #journeyman #ufc
— Ed Herman (@EdHermanufc) May 7, 2015
New @Reebok sponsorship deal with @UFC is a joke and an insult to athletes who risk their lives. I made more 7 years ago tks to @MaryDeOli
— Mark Bocek (@MarkBocek) May 7, 2015
@MidwayPat let’s just say I would be pissed if I was stuck in the reebok deal.
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) May 7, 2015
The majority of them. But then again I know guys in the top tier who will lose pay bc of it also. https://t.co/rU7yM7Ks4K
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) May 7, 2015
@abirchakMMA @FunkMaster_UFC @marc_raimondi @alexwangg past 3 guys I beat will make 2x sponsorship $ as me 🙁
— Al Iaquinta (@ALIAQUINTA) May 7, 2015
@ALIAQUINTA @abirchakMMA @marc_raimondi @alexwangg gotta combine rankings & tenure to make this a little better + 1 sponsor of OUR choice
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) May 7, 2015
@ALIAQUINTA @FunkMaster_UFC @marc_raimondi @alexwangg Al let this sink In CM is probably making more money than us combined
— Anthony Birchak (@abirchakMMA) May 7, 2015
You are paid to fight end of.. Stop bitching about sponsorship @ufc
— STORMIN NORMAN PARKE (@norman_parke) May 6, 2015
Im baffled as to why how much ufc fighters get per fight via reebok deal concerns everyone nobody asked how much i got on a building site
— Paul Redmond (@RedserMma) May 6, 2015
Nothing will change until fighters stand up for themselves. #MMAFA #boycottreebok @Reebok
— Nathan Quarry (@NateRockQuarry) May 6, 2015
I focus on what I can control not what I can’t.
— Colby Covington (@ColbyCovMMA) May 6, 2015
Beef.
Hey Tyron Stop shaking. I got an opponent. Y’don’t hafta peek between the curtains
— Jake Ellenberger (@EllenbergerMMA) May 6, 2015
@EllenbergerMMA shhhh your irrelevant and won a war of the “Has Beens” and was one fight away from getting the pink slip. #ContendersOnly
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) May 6, 2015
“You’re”, not “Your” “Were”, not “Was” @TWooodley
— Jake Ellenberger (@EllenbergerMMA) May 6, 2015
Hard to concentrate on grammar and spelling when your hands are trembling’ @TWooodley
— Jake Ellenberger (@EllenbergerMMA) May 6, 2015
Ha Dan Lambert is a liar…says I was borrowed from another gym. Sorry bro I am proud to be a #blackzilian @AmericanTopTeam
— Valdir Araujo (@bbmonstruoso) May 7, 2015
(Steve Carl)
Did Steve really miss weight tonight? Lol taking it serious he want the gold 🙂
— Erik Jon Koch (@NEWBREED04) May 7, 2015
Well not gonna talk shit about the loss, but I will say I don’t respect you as a human being and honestly think you are a piece of shit.
— Erik Jon Koch (@NEWBREED04) May 7, 2015
All I got to say is karma. Think you are the shit and think people are below you look what happens. Put in fucking place.
— Erik Jon Koch (@NEWBREED04) May 7, 2015
“@Sholler_UFC: @lssheffield @PrescottUFC if your like your man that injury is to far from your heart to miss Sunday Funday She not khabib
— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) May 7, 2015
@kevinkocasey I showed Lyoto nothing but respect. You’re a joke, u ain’t climbing no ladder
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) April 20, 2015
OK.
I am feeling like the World Champion. https://t.co/RANsm1ifJl pic.twitter.com/YZQ2ncoNKT
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 7, 2015
Cool.
Talk about a drug test 24 hours later I’m here in downtown LA Goldenboy building about to get… https://t.co/VLkUlGUMbp
— kendallgrovemma (@kendallgrovemma) May 6, 2015
I did mine just waiting on @BrandBullHalsey lol good luck pic.twitter.com/ye51wTExLo
— kendallgrovemma (@kendallgrovemma) May 6, 2015
Interested?
San Diego sounds good! Let’s scrap youngin! Meathooks and hammers https://t.co/MYrxTw7cBi
— Samuel Sicilia (@SamSiciliaMMA) May 6, 2015
Damn.
Nice.
Might be helping this guy train for some big fights #futuresuperstar @bellatormma @danawhite https://t.co/TsSx71vcYV
— nick diaz (@nickdiaz209) May 6, 2015
Get yours today.
#TeamFuckYou hats, best hats. https://t.co/hqk0njKk2x
— Al Iaquinta (@ALIAQUINTA) May 7, 2015
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (May 6 2015)
Mark Eddiva vs. Levan Makashvili at UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Faber
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via jaywolf1.
UFC-level prospect Lowen Tynanes returns May 22 at ONE FC: Warrior’s Quest
May 22, ONE Championship: Warrior’s Quest in Kallang, Singapore is a 2015 Card of the Year Candidate & features some of the best UFC-level talent on ONE’s roster…and in the entire world for that matter.
Lowen Tynanes, from Hawaii USA, is one of those fast rising Stars for ONE Championship.
A Hawaiian State Wrestling Champ, 24 year old Lowen Tynanes is already on many sites’ top prospect lists because Tynanes is such a well rounded beast Lightweight with a strong American wrestling base. Tynanes has great size, strength, speed, explosive power, and very well rounded skillset. Lowen Tynanes is the total package for 155 lbs.
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Check out the rest of the post here.
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