Tag: daniel cormier

Daniel Cormier Picks ‘Most Marketable’ UFC Welterweight Champ — Snubs Muhammad, Rakhmonov, Edwards, Garry

Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has given a somewhat surprising answer when pondering who would be the “most marketable” titleholder for the promotion at 170 pounds. The welterweight division has finished the year as one of the most talked about weight classes, largely thanks to standout contenders Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry co-headlining UFC […]

Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has given a somewhat surprising answer when pondering who would be the “most marketable” titleholder for the promotion at 170 pounds.

The welterweight division has finished the year as one of the most talked about weight classes, largely thanks to standout contenders Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry co-headlining UFC 310 in arguably the most highly anticipated fight on the final pay-per-view card of 2024.

The Kazakh star emerged victorious from that, keeping his ‘0’ intact and maintaining his status as top contender, which he was made to defend after an injury forced champion Belal Muhammad out.

With that, Muhammad vs. Rakhmonov is still expected to mark the next title fight at 170 pounds. But regardless of who wins, Cormier doesn’t think the UFC will be left with the best option for peak marketability.

During a recent episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Cormier explained why the rising Jack Della Maddalena might just be the UFC’s top choice when it comes to a future welterweight champ.

“I think Jack Della Maddalena is one fight away from becoming a guy fighting for the belt,” Cormier said. “If that fight is against Kamaru Usman, he will be rushed into that title fight. Let me tell you something about the UFC: Vince McMahon famously said, ‘I don’t like the UFC because I cannot control the outcome.’ What the UFC will do, they do know how to follow a game plan and they do know star-building.

“So when you get a guy like Jack Della Maddalena who has an entire country behind him, that everybody is excited about, they will find a way to get him into the position if he earns it,” Cormier continued. “So, if he beats a Kamaru Usman, there will be no other obstacle because, if I am being honest with you, right now at 170 (pounds), the most marketable guy as a champion right now is Jack Della Maddalena because of where he’s from, because of the entire country behind him, and because of the way they are excited about him.”

Della Maddalena is currently being brought up in the discussion for Comeback of the Year for 2024, having prevented a certain defeat on the scorecards by knocking Gilbert Burns out with just over a minute left in their fight at UFC 299 this past March.

The Australian hasn’t competed since, and after missing out on a home fight in Perth this year, it appears that the striking specialist may also be absent from the Sydney-held UFC 312 lineup next February following a recent report from Alex Behunin.

Daniel Cormier Ready to Take Over UFC Matchmaking Duties, Fantasy Books Bantamweight Top 10

Daniel Cormier Ready to Take Over UFC Matchmaking Duties, Fantasy Books Bantamweight Top 10Stand back Sean Shelby, Daniel Cormier has got this. The UFC’s bantamweight division is perhaps the most stacked weight…

Daniel Cormier Ready to Take Over UFC Matchmaking Duties, Fantasy Books Bantamweight Top 10

Stand back Sean Shelby, Daniel Cormier has got this.

The UFC’s bantamweight division is perhaps the most stacked weight class in all of mixed martial arts, boasting a slew of former and future world champions like Sean O’Malley, Petr Yan, Deiveson Figueiredo, Henry Cejudo, and Umar Nurmagomedov.

Then there’s 135-pound titleholder Merab Dvalishvili who’s coming off a stellar performance against ‘Sugar’ at UFC 306 in Las Vegas.

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Riding an 11-fight win streak dating back to 2018, ‘The Machine’ will look to keep his unbeaten run alive when he inevitably locks up with the No. 2 ranked Nurmagomedov in 2025.

But what about the rest of the division?

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Cormier Reveals his bantamweight wishlist

Following Petr Yan’s impressive win over Figueiredo in Macau, there are a lot of intriguing matchups to be had at 135. Doing the UFC’s job for them, Cormier broke down what he believes are the bantamweight matches that the promotion should be booking for the new year.

“There is a bunch of guys at 135 that need to be matched up. So I figured, it’s time for some matchmaking,” Cormier said on his ESPN show Good Guy/Bad Guy with Chael Sonnen. “For the title…easy, Merab vs. Umar. … Then I go Yan vs. Sandhagen (2) as my second fight, Chael. Because then it gives you a clear number one contender.

“Sean O’Malley needs a big fight, right? You know who else needs a big fight? Henry Cejudo. These guys have a beef, an easy beef to sell…I say put Sean O’Malley in there with the former champion Henry Cejudo. That means more than a win over Cory Sandhagen,” Cormier continued. “After that, I’m going Figgy (Deiveson Figueiredo) vs. Dominick Cruz. And my last one, Chael, we’ve got to give Mario Bautista a chance. … I’m giving him (Marlon) ‘Chito’ Vera” (h/t MMA News).

Chances are, Sean O’Malley will walk straight into a title fight once he’s ready to return following the loss against Dvalishvili in Vegas.

Also, Yan seems to think that his win over Figueiredo has already made him worthy of a rematch with ‘The Machine,’ as evidenced by his recent post on social media responding to the reigning champ’s praise.

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Dvalishvili seemed to like the idea, even going so far as to offer ‘No Mercy’ an exact date for their potential rematch.

“Great fight Petr (Yan),” Dvalishvili said in a video posted on X. “I like your callout, and I like your respect. Let’s go again, after 2 years. March 8th, T Mobile. Let’s f*cking go.”

What bantamweight matchups would you like to see in the coming year?

Daniel Cormier Pitches Next Fights For O’Malley, Yan, Figueiredo At Bantamweight

Former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier has some matchups in mind for the bantamweight division in 2025, including the next outings for Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan. The 135-pound weight class is entering the new year with a fresh champion at the helm and a number of hungry contenders chasing him down. Merab Dvalishvili achieved […]

Former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier has some matchups in mind for the bantamweight division in 2025, including the next outings for Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan.

The 135-pound weight class is entering the new year with a fresh champion at the helm and a number of hungry contenders chasing him down.

Merab Dvalishvili achieved his title ambitions on MMA’s biggest stage by dethroning O’Malley inside the Sphere this past September. While “Suga” eyes a shot at redemption in his return from injury next March or April, Umar Nurmagomedov sits as the consensus number one contender.

In spite of the Georgian’s ongoing attempts to push that matchup away, the Dagestani has plenty of support when it comes to his claim to an opportunity, including from Cormier.

During a recent episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Cormier pointed to Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov as the logical next title fight in the bantamweight division.

And in terms of how the rest of the top names should be matched up, “DC” has some ideas for that too.

“There is a bunch of guys at 135 that need to be matched up. So I figured, it’s time for some matchmaking,” Cormier began. “For the title…easy, Merab vs. Umar. … Then I go Yan vs. Sandhagen (2) as my second fight, Chael. Because then it gives you a clear number one contender.

“Sean O’Malley needs a big fight, right? You know who else needs a big fight? Henry Cejudo. These guys have a beef, an easy beef to sell…I say put Sean O’Malley in there with the former champion Henry Cejudo. That means more than a win over Cory Sandhagen,” Cormier continued. “After that, I’m going Figgy (Deiveson Figueiredo) vs. Dominick Cruz. And my last one, Chael, we’ve got to give Mario Bautista a chance. … I’m giving him (Marlon) ‘Chito’ Vera.”

It remains to be seen whether or not the UFC higher-ups will share Cormier’s view of the division. For now, it doesn’t appear the champ himself does.

Having previously pointed to others as more worthy of challenging for his gold than Nurmagomedov, Dvalishvili most recently called for a rematch with Yan following “No Mercy’s” decision win over Figueiredo in Macau last weekend.

Daniel Cormier Reacts to Bo Nickal’s Blistering Criticism of UFC 309 Commentary

Daniel Cormier Reacts to Bo Nickal's Blistering Criticism of UFC 309 CommentaryBo Nickal wasn’t happy about Daniel Cormier’s commentary during his scrap with Paul Craig at UFC 309 in New…

Daniel Cormier Reacts to Bo Nickal's Blistering Criticism of UFC 309 Commentary

Bo Nickal wasn’t happy about Daniel Cormier’s commentary during his scrap with Paul Craig at UFC 309 in New York City.

Nickal returned to the Octagon for a main card clash with ‘Bearjew’ inside Madison Square Garden, and while he secured his sixth straight win in MMA, it was a performance that left a lot of pundits underwhelmed.

Instead of utilizing the world-class wrestling that made him a three-time NCAA Division I national champion, Nickal opted to stand and trade with Craig, eeking out a fairly uneventful unanimous decision. During the three-round affair, fans inside the world’s most famous arena lambasted the former Nittany Lion, calling him overrated and showering him with boos.

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Cormier was also critical on commentary, noting that Nickal had a long way to go before he’d be ready for someone like Khamzat Chimaev — a fighter Nickal has called out since his days on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Nickal voiced his frustration over Cormier’s pro-Khamzat commentary which sparked a response from the UFC Hall of Famer.

“Bo Nickal is a bit upset about the commentary during the fight last week,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I’ve got to be honest, this one took me a little bit by surprise, because I do like Bo, and I do believe that at some point he’s going to be a champion. Bo said he took offense to the commentary, but I think he’s a little misguided. I think he may have misunderstood what I’m trying to say.”

“What I’m more trying to say in this fight is let’s not rush him into fights with people that are much more experienced, much more battle-tested, much more ready to compete at the highest level,” Cormier continued. “Because it feels like one of those situations where a young guy who has shown so much promise gets a little bit fast-tracked. We have seen this time and time again, where an athlete comes onto the scene, they do so well initially that they get overwhelmed because you don’t know what to do with him.”

Cormier went on to clarify his stance on a potential showdown between Nickal and Chimaev in the future, noting that his criticism doesn’t mean Nickal won’t ever be ready to fight ‘Borz.’ He just isn’t ready right now.

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“People have already started to compare him to Khamzat Chimaev, how do they stack up, can he wrestle him, can he do this? I’m not saying he’s not ready for Khamzat because I don’t think he ever will be ready for Khamzat, right now he just isn’t,” Cormier added. “Bo Nickal has now seen the opposite side of fame. I wonder how he’s going to handle negativity coming his direction. I wasn’t negative.

“I have no problem with Bo Nickal. I believe he’s going to be fine. I don’t have a problem with the performance. I thought he fought really well, but there’s room for improvement. Everybody said it! Let’s just take our time. We don’t need to rush him, that’s all I’m saying.”

Bo Nickal Responds to Daniel Cormier’s Explanation

To Nickal’s credit, he was quick to squash any beef he had with Cormier after getting a detailed explanation from the former champ-champ.

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“Absolutely agree,” Nickal said on X while sharing Cormier’s comments. “I have of room for improvement and I appreciate the clarification @dc_mma thank you.”

Bo Nickal Unhappy With Commentary Of UFC 309 Win: To Hear DC Say, ‘He’s Not Ready For Khamzat…’

UFC middleweight prospect Bo Nickal has continued to defend his performance on Saturday night — this time against what he’s branded “disappointing” commentary. Nickal extended his perfect professional MMA and UFC records on the main card of this past weekend’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, getting past his toughest test to date in the form of Paul […]

UFC middleweight prospect Bo Nickal has continued to defend his performance on Saturday night — this time against what he’s branded “disappointing” commentary.

Nickal extended his perfect professional MMA and UFC records on the main card of this past weekend’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, getting past his toughest test to date in the form of Paul Craig.

But the American wrestling specialist wasn’t tested in the Scotsman’s domain, with the three-round affair playing out entirely on the feet. That led to a less than exciting contest, which the crowd inside Madison Square Garden let the two fighters know.

Boos rained down following the fight and throughout Nickal’s Octagon interview, and they were only amplified when the undefeated 185lber dismissed the fans’ complaints and expressed joy at how he performed.

As it turns out, the paying audience weren’t the only ones with an opinion that Nickal thoroughly disagreed with…

During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Nickal took issue with the cageside commentators after watching back his victory over “Bearjew” in New York City.

Nickal appeared particularly frustrated by Daniel Cormier apparently writing off his chances against Khamzat Chimaev based off that performance.

“The commentary and just hearing the way that they were looking at the fight, it made me feel like they didn’t know what was going on as much,” Nickal said. “Because anybody that I’ve talked to that are people that I trust and shoot straight with me were like, ‘Dude, you shut that guy out. Domination. It was a flawless fight.’ Then to hear ‘DC’ say things like, ‘Oh, he’s not ready for Khamzat [Chimaev]’ — I think he was trying to be respectful but also maybe set me down a peg. It was just weird to hear.

“It was a little disappointing to hear those comments from people that I respect a lot. What was going on in these guys’ heads? It just makes me feel like they don’t know what was happening,” Nickal continued. “It’s confusing because I’m like, ‘Wait, what? How do you get that from that?’ I didn’t even really get touched. It’s so crazy.”

Cormier wasn’t the only one sharing that sentiment — and getting pushback from Nickal soon after.

Former welterweight title challenger and middleweight contender Darren Till suggested the same in a more colorful fashion on social media. The decorated wrestler gave a short and sweet reply, attaching a GIF of “The Gorilla’s” knockout loss to Jorge Masvidal in 2019.

‘Overrated’ Bo Nickal Disappointed by Cormier’s Pro-Khamzat Commentary During UFC 309 Fight

'Overrated' Bo Nickal Disappointed by Cormier's Pro-Khamzat Commentary During UFC 309 FightBo Nickal was proud of the performance he delivered at UFC 309. Unfortunately, not everyone enjoyed watching it. Nickal’s…

'Overrated' Bo Nickal Disappointed by Cormier's Pro-Khamzat Commentary During UFC 309 Fight

Bo Nickal was proud of the performance he delivered at UFC 309. Unfortunately, not everyone enjoyed watching it.

Nickal’s return to the Octagon on Saturday night was a bit of a mixed bag. Sure, the three-time NCAA Division I national champion earned a fairly decisive victory, moving to 7-0 in his mixed martial arts career, but he definitely didn’t make any new fans with the lackluster performance. Instead of utilizing his world-class wrestling, Nickal opted to keep the fight standing and show off his evolution as a well-rounded fighter.

Bo Nickal

It was a bold move and one that proved to pay off, but the lack of fireworks — or really anything of note — had fans relentlessly booing Nickal and dubbing him overrated.

The commentary team wasn’t exactly kind to Nickal either. Especially Daniel Cormier who made his thoughts on Nickal’s performance and his chances against someone like Khamzat Chimaev quite clear.

Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Nickal snapped back at the negative comments by the UFC 309 commentary team and defended his decision to stand and trade with Craig.

“When I watched the fight back, something that was a little disappointing was the commentary and just kinda hearing the way they were looking at the fight,” Nickal said. “It made me feel like they didn’t really know what was going on. Anybody that I’ve talked to, the people that I trust and shoot straight with me, they’re like, ‘Dude, you shut that guy out, total domination, it was a flawless victory’” (h/t MMA Mania).

Truth be told, Nickal’s victory was far from dominant. According to the UFC Stats website, Nickal only landed six more total strikes than Craig throughout the 15-minute affair, but landed at a significantly higher clip, connecting on 63% of his strikes while ‘Bearjew’ only landed 37% of his.

However, Craig also threw 45 more total strikes than Nickal, so clearly he was the busier fighter on the night.

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Dana White acknowledges that Bo Nickal Still ‘Needs Work’

Daniel Cormier and the MSG crowd weren’t the only ones critical of Nickal’s performance. During the post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White acknowledged that the former Nittany Lion still needs a lot of work before he can achieve his lofty goals.

“Well, you know, we’ve had these discussions with Bo. Bo needs work,” White told the media. “Bo is an up-and-coming guy. I know he has big aspirations and wants to move faster than he should. But, tonight showed that — I mean, he still dominated, he won the whole fight — but he’s got work to do. It’s alright, we’ll move him. When you’re in a position like Bo is, there’s a lot of expectations.”