Tag: daniel cormier

‘F*ck them!’ – Ji?í Procházka Reacts To UFC 311 Commentary Team Mentioning His Hands-Down Style

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Ji?í Procházka wasn’t pleased to be told of one topic that came up during the broadcast of his recent victory. Procházka was among the biggest winners to emerge from Saturday’s UFC 311 pay-per-view in Inglewood, California, where he got the better of a fellow ex-titleholder in Jamahal Hill to reignite […]

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Ji?í Procházka wasn’t pleased to be told of one topic that came up during the broadcast of his recent victory.

Procházka was among the biggest winners to emerge from Saturday’s UFC 311 pay-per-view in Inglewood, California, where he got the better of a fellow ex-titleholder in Jamahal Hill to reignite his hopes of a second title reign.

The Czech fan favorite had his hand raised in an entertaining affair, following up multiple knockdowns with a fight-ending flurry toward the end of the third and final round.

During and after the bout, “BJP” was widely praised for seemingly displaying an improved defensive game, especially in regards to his head movement.

But during his post-fight press conference, Procházka was still unhappy to hear of the same concerns being raised by the broadcast team when it comes to one element of his approach — keeping his hands down.

“F*ck them. I worked on that so much,” Procházka said. “(People) messaged me every day, ‘You have to keep your hands up.’ So OK, I will do that for this fight. I will keep the hands up, especially for this night.

“(I keep my hand down because) I believe in my senses. I believe in my feeling in a fight – in my head movement. That’s why I can keep the hands down,” Procházka continued. “To be honest, in the last fight with Alex (Pereira), I was a little bit too hands down. So this is something I’ve worked on. I want to see the video from the fight (against Hill), because I believe that I (kept my hands up).”

With such a style being widely branded counter-productive in his two efforts opposite Alex Pereira, perhaps Procházka will plan on putting even more emphasis on staying defensively responsible should his wish to meet “Poatan” for a third time come to fruition down the line.

‘Team Good Guy, Team Bad Guy’ – Daniel Cormier & Chael Sonnen Announced As Coaches For Season 33 Of The Ultimate Fighter

Quickly following the announcement that the producer of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, Craig Piligian, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, the next set of coaches for TUF were announced on the UFC 311 broadcast. A fourth man appeared in the commentary booth as Jon Anik revealed that Daniel […]

Quickly following the announcement that the producer of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, Craig Piligian, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, the next set of coaches for TUF were announced on the UFC 311 broadcast.

A fourth man appeared in the commentary booth as Jon Anik revealed that Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen will go toe-to-toe on the upcoming season.

Unlike most instalments of the show, season 33 will not build to a fight between the coaches when everything wraps up. What you are guaranteed is plenty of hi-jinx between the two men who often co-host ESPN’s Good Guy/Bad Guy show, where they comment on the biggest talking points in the sport.

The two men briefly went back and forth on the broadcast, setting the stage for what is sure to be an entertaining series between two of the biggest personalities in the sport. Further details including the weight classes that will feature on the series are yet to be revealed.

Both Cormier and Sonnen have been team captains in the past, with Sonnen coaching against Jon Jones back in 2013 and Cormier going up against Stipe Miocic in 2018.

This will be the fifth consecutive year of TUF following the three-year hiatus between 2018 and 2021.

‘Jon Jones Is Smart in His Approach’ – Daniel Cormier on Jones’ UFC Leverage in Tom Aspinall Fight

'Jon Jones Is Smart in His Approach’ - Daniel Cormier on Jones' UFC Leverage in Tom Aspinall MatchDaniel Cormier can’t see the UFC paying Jon Jones $30 million for a fight with Tom Aspinall, but if…

'Jon Jones Is Smart in His Approach’ - Daniel Cormier on Jones' UFC Leverage in Tom Aspinall Match

Daniel Cormier can’t see the UFC paying Jon Jones $30 million for a fight with Tom Aspinall, but if fans want it bad enough, Dana White will deliver.

After leaving the door open for a showdown with the interim titleholder in November, Jones’ reported asking price for the quote-unquote biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history is a steep one.

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And while some, like longtime color commentator Joe Rogan, think the promotion will ultimately give the GOAT what he’s asking for, others, like former champ-champ Daniel Cormier, think the UFC will be successful in booking the bout, though not to the tune of $30 million.

“I ain’t doing it, so then it made people go, ‘I want this, I want this.’ And when you want something, especially you, the family, because you drive everything, when you want something bad, the UFC tends to make it happen,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Will it make it happen to the tune of $30 million? I don’t know. I wouldn’t say that it would happen, but what I do know is that they will be far more willing to have the conversation.

“So, for all the time that everybody has said how horrible Jones is, and he’s stupid, he’s an idiot, me being at the lead of this, very smart in the way that he’s approached this. Especially if he wins—imagine if he wins.”

Jon Jones beating Aspinall would be bad for the UFC

So what happens if Jon Jones does defeat Tom Aspinall? Chances are, he would either stick around long enough to cash in on another big-money fight, like a showdown with light heavyweight king Alex Pereira, or he would simply walk away from the fight game with his gold and his GOAT status secured.

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To Cormier, that would be the worst-case scenario.

“They’ve got to get him in there with Aspinall. And you’ve got to hope that Aspinall wins if you want the heavyweight title to continue being what the heavyweight title has been,” Cormier said. “Because if he doesn’t, and Jones goes, ‘I’m walking away as the greatest of all time, as the reigning heavyweight champion,’ it leaves a gap that’s hard to fill.”

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‘Joe Rogan Thinks UFC Will Pay It’: Daniel Cormier Weighs in on Jon Jones’ $30 Million Request

'Joe Rogan Thinks UFC Will Pay It’: Daniel Cormier Weighs in on Jon Jones’ $30 Million RequestIf the UFC wants to book a title unification clash between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, they’re gonna have…

'Joe Rogan Thinks UFC Will Pay It’: Daniel Cormier Weighs in on Jon Jones’ $30 Million Request

If the UFC wants to book a title unification clash between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, they’re gonna have to pony up some serious dough.

Following his third-round stoppage of Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, ‘Bones’ left the door open for a long-awaited showdown with Aspinall to unify their respective heavyweight titles. But just because Jones is willing to take the fight, doesn’t mean he’s going to do it for cheap.

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According to popular podcaster and long-time UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, the undisputed heavyweight champions’s asking price is a whopping $30 million. That might sound like a lot, but let’s not forget that ‘Bones’ is without a doubt the greatest mixed martial artist in the history of the sport, regardless of your opinion on his antics outside the cage.

Add that to the fact that Jones vs. Aspinall would be the biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history, and you’ve got an opportunity for both fighters to cash in big. Especially Jones.

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However, not everyone is convinced that Dana White and Co will fork over that kind of cash for anyone not named Conor McGregor.

“Rogan thinks that the UFC is gonna pay it,” Daniel Cormier said on his YouTube channel. Rogan thinks that the UFC will pay the $30 million to get Jon Jones in there with Tom Aspinall. I’m not sure he gets to 30, but if you ask for 30 and you get 20 or you get 15, that’s a win for Jon Jones.”

Cormier thinks the UFC needs tom Aspinall to beat jon jones

DC’ also stressed the importance of not only getting Jon Jones inside the Octagon with Aspinall, but the Brit coming out on top in their potential clash. If not, ‘Bones’ could potentially walk away from the fight game with gold still strapped around his waist, leaving the promotion in a precarious position.

“Jones leaves, and you can do whatever you want,” Cormier said. “We could go Aspinall versus [Alex] Pereira, Aspinall versus this guy, or that guy. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because, even though Francis Ngannou isn’t the name that Jon Jones is, people were saying when Jones became champ, “Well, he didn’t beat Francis,” right? There was a break in the heavyweight championship timeline. If you want to say it like that, we can make massive fights, but it will never overcome the idea that Jon Jones left as the champ. And then that would happen two times back to back. So it’d be a massive mistake.

“They’ve got to get him in there with Aspinall. And you’ve got to hope that Aspinall wins if you want the heavyweight title to continue being what the heavyweight title has been. Because if he doesn’t, and Jones goes, ‘I’m walking away as the greatest of all time, as the reigning heavyweight champion,” it leaves a gap that’s hard to fill.’”

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Daniel Cormier on Jon Jones’ $30 Million Ask: ‘Nowhere Near What We Were Paid’

Daniel Cormier on Jon Jones’ $30 Million Ask: ‘Nowhere Near What We Were Paid’Jon Jones is widely considered one of the greatest fighters in UFC history. Bones’ has reportedly asked for $30…

Daniel Cormier on Jon Jones’ $30 Million Ask: ‘Nowhere Near What We Were Paid’

Jon Jones is widely considered one of the greatest fighters in UFC history. Bones’ has reportedly asked for $30 million to face interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall. However, former UFC champion Daniel Cormier has experience in high-profile title fights and is skeptical of Jon Jones’ demands.

Daniel Cormier Talks UFC Pay

Olympian Daniel Cormier, a two-division champion, reflected on his own paydays in a podcast episode, stating that the $30 million Jones is asking for is “nowhere near” what he and other fighters in his era were earning.

“He wants $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall? I’ll tell you guys right now, as a person that has been involved in big fights, a person that has sold pay-per-views, a person that, at his time, was at the top of the pay scale in the UFC as the heavyweight and light heavyweight champion—$30 million was literally a world away from anything we were making,” Cormier said.

“I remember when I got paid in New York, I got like a big bump to take a fight on three weeks’ notice, which ultimately became my salary, and people were astounded with the number. But I will tell you, it was a fraction of what that number he’s asking for is. It was nowhere near that.”

Jon Jones

While Cormier acknowledges that Jones’ asking price may be inflated, he also notes that a significant payday in the range of $15 to $20 million would still be a major win for the heavyweight champion.

Jon Jones Daniel Cormier

Jon Jones, who made a successful move to the heavyweight division in 2023, capturing the UFC Heavyweight Championship, has continued to dominate in the division. After defending his title against Stipe Miocic in November 2024, Jon Jones expressed interest in facing Tom Aspinall but indicated that a substantial financial incentive would be needed to secure the bout.

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As negotiations continue, UFC CEO Dana White remains optimistic that the fight could happen. Jon Jones’ tactic of holding out for a large payday has garnered praise from some, including former fighter Michael Bisping, who believes it has increased the demand for the fight. However, whether or not Jones will secure the $30 million he is asking for remains uncertain.

The Ten-Year Anniversary of Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier 1 – Perfect Rivals

The Ten-Year Anniversary of Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier 1 - Perfect RivalsToday marks the ten-year anniversary of Jon Jones facing Daniel Cormier, two competitive rivals who still have not found…

The Ten-Year Anniversary of Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier 1 - Perfect Rivals

Today marks the ten-year anniversary of Jon Jones facing Daniel Cormier, two competitive rivals who still have not found peace. UFC 182 on January 3, 2015, saw Jon ‘Bones’ Jones defend his UFC light heavyweight crown by unanimous decision giving Cormier his first professional career loss.

Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier

Jon Jones was a phenom. At just 23-year-old he became the youngest UFC champion in history and defended his title against former and future division champions. Cormier was a former Olympic wrestling standout who had an unbeaten MMA career where he also earned gold in Strikeforce.

The two met years prior and the bad blood was always evident. A backstage confrontation at UFC 121 turned heated, with trash talk setting the stage for years of animosity. The feud escalated during their press tour for UFC 178 in 2014, with a brawl during a media event in Las Vegas. Security struggled to separate the fighters as punches were thrown, sparking widespread headlines.

In the octagon, Jon Jones and Cormier delivered a high-stakes battle. Jones performed well with his reach and striking, while Cormier excelled in the clinch with dirty boxing and takedown attempts. However, Jones proved superior, landing critical strikes and securing takedowns against the Olympic wrestler. After five intense rounds, Jones retained his light heavyweight title via unanimous decision.

Jon JOnes vs. Daniel Cormier

In a rematch years later, Jones would again defeat Cormier via head kick but this fight was overturned due to a banned substance in Jones’ system. Regardless, the two have never cooled or found peace with their ongoing feud. It remains one of the best rivalries in MMA and UFC history.

Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier