Daniel Cormier recently remarked that Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad’s assertions of downplaying each other’s abilities ahead of their rematch at UFC 304 are far more than mere wordplay. Edwards is set to put his title on the line against Muhammad in the main event of the upcoming UFC pay-per-view this Saturday in front of […]
Daniel Cormier recently remarked that Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad’s assertions of downplaying each other’s abilities ahead of their rematch at UFC 304 are far more than mere wordplay.
Edwards is set to put his title on the line against Muhammad in the main event of the upcoming UFC pay-per-view this Saturday in front of his hometown crowd at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England.
The two fighters first collided in a short-notice bout during the main event of UFC Fight Night in March 2021. Regrettably, an accidental eye poke in the second round compelled “Remember the Name” to bow out, resulting in the bout being ruled a no-contest.
While the animosity between Edwards and Muhammad is palpable, the former UFC two-division champion believes their trash talk is merely a tactic to rile each other up and hype the fight…
Cormier Dismisses Edwards and Muhammad’s Verbal Jabs As ‘Gamesmanship’
During a recent appearance on the Anik & Florian Podcast, “DC” observed that both Edwards and Muhammad seem to be underestimating each other, each believing that their opponent hasn’t improved since their first fight three years ago.
“I think we’re in a situation where both of these guys are looking at the other, going, ‘Well, he ain’t what he’s supposed to be,’” Cormier said. “When I hear Leon Edwards talk about the competition, it feels like ‘Rocky’ expects the Belal that he kicked in the head in round one of the first fight, and then he was kind of beating, but it’s not the same Belal Muhammad.
“But I know Belal Muhammad needs to recognize that it’s not the same Leon Edwards. We saw Leon Edwards change from fight one to fight two against Kamaru Usman.”
The UFC Hall of Famer noted that both fighters are deliberately making provocative remarks to get under each other’s skin and boost their own confidence ahead of their upcoming clash.
“I truly believe that it is all gamesmanship. We’re getting to the point where the gamesmanship starts to show, where you insult the guy to make yourself feel more confident going into the competition.”
Following their initial bout, “Rocky” earned a title shot by defeating Nate Diaz at UFC 263 and ultimately dethroned Kamaru Usman to claim the welterweight gold at UFC 278 in August 2022.
Meanwhile, Muhammad had to embark on a five-fight winning streak to finally secure his first UFC title opportunity. Only time will reveal how much both fighters have evolved to counter each other’s game plans.
Ahead of his sixth promotional appearance, Pimblett spoke with Tim Wheaton in an exclusive interview to discuss all things UFC — including the chaotic state of the heavyweight division and its undisputed champion, Jon Jones.
During their conversation, Pimblett praised ‘Bones’ legacy and recalled watching the two-division titleholder’s domination as a 15-year-old boy in Liverpool dreaming of one day walking that same path.
“He’s the greatest of all time. He’s never lost a fight. I’ll never forget, I watched when he beat Matt Hamill, and it got classed as a DQ,” Pimblett said. “I watched that fight live when I was 15. I watched that live and I’ve been watching Jon Jones my whole career.
“He’s had a couple of close fights that people thought he lost, but he’s the greatest of all time. No one comes near his resume.
After dispatching a slew of MMA legends at 205, Jon Jones made the move heavyweight following a three-year-long layoff and quickly submitted the division’s top contender, Ciryl Gane, at UFC 285 in May 2023 to take home the vacant heavyweight title.
Paddy Pimblett believes Jones beating Miocic is just another way for ‘Bones’ to torment Daniel Cormier
Immediately following the fight, Jones set his sights on Stipe Miocic, the only two-time heavyweight champion in UFC history and the man considered by many to be the division’s undisputed GOAT.
With Jones and Miocic touted as the best light heavyweight and heavyweight fighters of all time, a superfight between the two certainly makes sense — particularly for ‘Bones’ who is hellbent on solidifying his legacy as the best to ever do it.
However, Pimblett believes Jones’ desire to fight Miocic is a bit deeper and much more petty than that.
“I know why he wants to fight Stipe, because Stipe beat Cormier, twice and his hatred for Cormier,” Pimblett said. “He wants to have that win over Stipe who’s beaten Cormier twice, just so it’s another f*ck you to Cormier. That’s how his brain works. I don’t think he’s scared to fight Tom. I don’t think he is at all. I think to be honest, it’s crazy that Tom’s defending an interim title. Most of the champs would have been stripped, but we’re talking about Jon Jones here, the greatest fighter of all time.
“I don’t think he’s scared to fight anyone. Tom could be his biggest test out there. I think Tom’s going to win at UFC 304 against Blaydes. I’d love Tom to win. Then I’d love Jones to beat Stipe and then to fight each other early next year. That’s the scenario that I think every UFC fan wants.”
Before losing his last two UFC fights against Stipe Miocic in a trio of entertaining heavyweight title scraps, Daniel Cormier came up short on two separate occasions against Jon Jones — though one was later overturned to a no-contest.
The rivalry between Cormier and Jones was one of the most fierce in UFC history with ‘DC’ taking exception to Jones’ brash attitude and continuous run-ins with the law. Even today, the animosity is ever present despite their best efforts to remain cordial in front of the camera.
Could that be Jones’ real reason for wanting to fight Miocic? Probably not, but even ‘Bones’ can’t deny that defeating the man who beat Cormier twice would be a pretty big middle finger to ‘DC.’
Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has backed Sean Strickland’s claim to a title shot, as noise regarding Robert Whittaker getting the next opportunity instead continues to increase. Even prior to his victory last month, Strickland felt hard done by having been overlooked by the promotion for Dricus Du Plessis’ first title defense this summer. […]
Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier has backed Sean Strickland’s claim to a title shot, as noise regarding Robert Whittaker getting the next opportunity instead continues to increase.
Even prior to his victory last month, Strickland felt hard done by having been overlooked by the promotion for Dricus Du Plessis’ first title defense this summer. “Tarzan,” of course, lost the middleweight belt to the South African by narrow margins at UFC 297 in Canada this past January.
He then begrudgingly accepted a bout with Paulo Costa, outpointing the former title challenger in a lackluster five-round co-main event at the UFC 302 pay-per-view in Newark. In the immediate aftermath, Strickland laid down his stance by insisting that he’ll only make the walk for a title fight next time out.
Cormier Asks: Why Are People ‘So Quick To Discredit’ Strickland?!
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Cormier gave his take on the major topics currently appearing in mixed martial arts headlines, including Khamzat Chimaev’s push for a middleweight title shot.
Cormier questioned how Strickland keeps being left out of the discussion over who could fight the winner of Du Plessis vs. Adesanya. Ironically, “DC” initially left Strickland out himself and branded the victor of a potential Chimaev vs. Whittaker fight as next in line.
“Khamzat vs. Robert Whittaker to determine who’s next. You know what, or Sean Strickland,” Cormier said. “I don’t understand how Sean Strickland keeps getting forgotten. He does everything he’s supposed to do. He wins the fights. He was the number one contender. He should not always seem to be put on the backburner.
“He beat Paulo Costa better than Robert Whittaker beat Paulo Costa,” Cormier continued. “Rob goes and has that crazy fight in Saudi Arabia and we immediately start talking about him as the number one contender. What about Sean Strickland? I don’t know why people are so quick to discount this man. We saw it on his rise to the championship, we saw it when he was champion, we saw it when he was coming back. I don’t know why people are so quick to discredit this man.”
While known for his tendency to say yes to whichever fights the UFC slides across his desk, the former champ has been firm in rejecting a possible clash with “The Reaper,” as well as any other matchup that doesn’t come with the 185-pound belt on the line.
The thought that whittaker gets a title shot before me is fucking wild..
UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has received a somewhat supportive message from a surprising source amid his latest legal battle. Jones has once again found himself in hot water away from the Octagon. He has frequently fallen foul of the law in the past, with incidents ranging from arrests for a hit-and-run and domestic violence […]
UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones has received a somewhat supportive message from a surprising source amid his latest legal battle.
Jones has once again found himself in hot water away from the Octagon. He has frequently fallen foul of the law in the past, with incidents ranging from arrests for a hit-and-run and domestic violence to multiple drug suspensions.
The UFC star was accused of saying, “Do you know what happens to people who come to my house? They end up dead.” He was subsequently issued a summons on accusations of assault and interfering with communications.
When incidents like this occur, fans often look back to comments made by Jones’ arch rival Daniel Cormier, who told his bitter foe a number of years ago that he will never change. “DC,” however, isn’t among those rushing to slate the heavyweight champ…
Cormier Defends Jones: ‘I Know We All Rush To Judge Him…’
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Cormier reacted to some of the major talking points currently floating about in the MMA community, including confirmation that Jones is headed for a bench trial for his alleged assault of the drug tester.
Although “Bones” hasn’t been cleared of any wrongdoing, Cormier believes the incident is likely being blown out of proportion and won’t lead to any severe consequences for his former two-time opponent.
“Jon Jones got charged for the incident with the lady at the testing,” Cormier said. “Guys, he got served two misdemeanors. … If I’m being completely honest, though, the whole time I kind of thought that deal was BS. I feel like he was approached very early, right? Or if I recall, it was either early in the morning or late in the evening, where he could’ve been home having some drinks.
“I know we all rush to judge Jones because of his past issues, but the reality is, if a man is at his house and he’s having some drinks in the confines of his own home, so what? … And if the drug testers come and he might be a little bit tipsy or messed up, maybe the interactions aren’t as fun or as easy as they may have been in different other occasions,” Cormier continued. “So I kind of always thought it was BS. I don’t think much is gonna come of it. But because he is who he is, it’s always a story. … I don’t really think that this is that big of a deal.”
In the latest update to the story, Jones pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges while appearing for his bond arraignment at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court on Wednesday.
Conditions for his release were set, including not violating any laws, possessing firearms or dangerous weapons, and consuming alcohol or illicit drugs, ahead of a bench trial in 30 to 45 days.
Jon Jones appeared for his bond arraignment hearing this morning at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court with his lawyer Christopher Dodd where he entered a "not guilty" plea on misdemeanor charges of assault and interference with communications, per the court's public…
Daniel Cormier believes MMA fans need to respect Michael Chandler for what he has accomplished in his career. Fans…
Daniel Cormier believes MMA fans need to respect Michael Chandler for what he has accomplished in his career.
Fans have criticized Chandler for holding out for the fight with McGregor which many never come to fruition. Dustin Poirier also recently took aim at Chandler saying he isn’t a UFC fighter like he is, which Cormier disagrees with.
“You can tell that Dustin Poirier takes offense to Michael Chandler almost putting himself on the same level as him and all the guys that have been around the UFC for as long as he has,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “He doesn’t like that. It’s almost territorial in a sense that he’s going, ‘We’ve done this for a long time. You can’t come in here with four fights and say we.’
“It almost seems perfect when it comes to Chandler, but at the end of the day, Michael Chandler and the work he put on paper in a short period of time has to be respected. For a guy like Dustin Poirier who goes, ‘From 2011, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18, I was scratching and clawing, really trying to make my way.’ I can get how he would have frustration for a guy who did it so fast but at the end of the day should still be respected,” he concluded.
As Cormier says, Chandler has paid his dues outside of the UFC as he is the former Bellator lightweight champion and has fought and beaten plenty of notable names.
Conor McGregor says Michael Chandler fight is ‘for sure’ happening in 2024
Michael Chandler has not fought since November of 2022 when he was submitted by Dustin Poirier as he’s been holding out for the Conor McGregor fight.
Chandler and McGregor were booked to fight at UFC 303, but an injury to the Irishman forced him out. The fight has not been rebooked but McGregor says the bout will happen this year.
“I talked to Dana today about our new date, all looking good! 24′ for sure,” McGregor tweeted.
Currently, it’s unclear when the fight will happen, but the hope for many fans is it will take place this year.
Alex Pereira’s recent successful defence of his light heavyweight title at UFC 303 has added the Brazilian’s name to the ever-growing list of fighters who have successfully changed weight divisions within the UFC. Today we take a look at some of the most notable examples (along with a few that didn’t fare quite as well). […]
Alex Pereira’s recent successful defence of his light heavyweight title at UFC 303 has added the Brazilian’s name to the ever-growing list of fighters who have successfully changed weight divisions within the UFC. Today we take a look at some of the most notable examples (along with a few that didn’t fare quite as well).
CONOR McGREGOR
The original ‘champ champ’. The first man to simultaneously hold championship belts in two different weight divisions. “The Notorious” signed with the UFC back in 2013 having won both the featherweight and lightweight titles in Cage Warriors and within two-and-a-half years he knocked out Jose Aldo to claim the 145lb belt.
Image: Conor McGregor IG
Less than a year later, he put on perhaps the best display of his career when he beat Eddie Alvarez at the iconic Madison Square Garden to claim the 155lb strap. He has also competed in the welterweight division, fighting Nate Diaz twice and Donald Cerrone. His recent (now postponed) comeback bout against Michael Chandler had been set to take place over five rounds at 170lbs.
DANIEL CORMIER
“DC” enjoyed huge success fighting as a heavyweight prior to signing with the UFC in 2013. He beat Antonio “Big Foot” Silva and Josh Barnett to win the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix in 2012 and began his UFC career with wins over former heavyweight champion Frank Mir and Roy Nelson, before making the decision to move down to 205lbs as his team-mate Cain Velazquez was the heavyweight champion at the time.
Cormier submitted Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in 2015 to claim the vacant light heavyweight title, and three years later he made the decision to move up and challenge then-champion Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title. He shocked the world by knocking out Miocic in the first round, although the Cleveland-born firefighter gained his revenge by beating Cormier twice in 2019/2020, retiring him from the sport.
Image: Robert Whittaker Instagram
ROBERT WHITTAKER
“Bobby Knuckles” signed with the UFC back in 2012 off the back of some impressive performances on The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes and had mixed results during his time competing in the welterweight division. He won three of his first five fights, but losses to Court McGee and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson convinced Whittaker to test the waters at 185lbs.
What followed was an eight-fight winning streak, wins over the likes of Yoel Romero and “Jacare” Souza and the UFC middleweight title. Whittaker lost the belt to Israel Adesanya in 2022 but is still riding high at 185lbs and finds himself in the title picture once again after his recent knockout victory over Ikram Aliskerov.
HENRY CEJUDO
The 2008 Olympic gold medallist won his first four fights inside the Octagon to earn a shot at then-UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson back in 2016. Although Cejudo was knocked out in the first round, he soon worked his way back into title contention with some impressive victories over Wilson Reis and Sergio Pettis.
The rematch was a much closer affair, and “Triple C” ended Johnson’s record-breaking title reign and emerged victorious by way of a contentious split decision. A year later he moved up to 135lbs to challenge Marlon Moraes for the vacant UFC bantamweight title. He finished Moraes and then beat former champion Dominick Cruz in his first title defence in 2020, before relinquishing his belt and announcing his retirement, in what seemed like a power play due to contract issues with the UFC.
3 Fighters Who Moved Down A Weight Division…With Disastrous Results!
T.J. DILLASHAW
T.J. Dillashaw enjoyed two separate runs as UFC bantamweight champion. He shocked the MMA world when he destroyed Renan Barao at UFC 173 to capture the 135lb belt. After losing the title to Dominck Cruz two years later, he regrouped and beat Raphael Assuncao and John Lineker to earn another shot at gold.
He knocked out former team-mate Cody Garbrandt (who had won the belt from Cruz a year earlier), and after finishing “No Love” again in a rematch, made the decision to cut to 125lbs to challenge Henry Cejudo for the flyweight title.
The decision proved disastrous. Dillashaw was knocked out after just 32 seconds, and a couple of months later it was announced he had been suspended for two years by USADA due to testing positive for EPO in the lead-up to the Cejudo fight.
He returned after his suspension ended and beat Cory Sandhagen to earn another shot at the 135lb belt but went into the fight against Aljamain Sterling carrying a serious shoulder injury and was finished easily. He has since walked away from the sport.
CODY GARBRANDT
Cody Garbrandt came into that first bantamweight title fight with T.J. Dillashaw unbeaten at 10-0 and riding high off the back of a career-best performance against Dominick Cruz. The two losses he suffered at the hands of Dillashaw seemed to affect him badly. He was also knocked out by Pedro Munhoz in his next fight, and although he would claim a highlight reel finish over Raphael Assuncao in 2020, a defeat to Rob Font soon afterwards convinced him a change was needed.
Image: Cody Garbrandt Instagram
With no discernible path back into the bantamweight picture, “No Love” decided to make the cut to 125lbs for a fight against Australian flyweight contender Kai Kara-France at UFC 269. Another first-round knockout defeat followed, and Garbrandt stepped away from the spotlight for a much-needed break.
His return to the bantamweight division has been a little less calamitous. Wins over Trevin Jones and Brian Kelleher, followed by a submission loss to Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 300 have hinted that perhaps his future lies slightly outside of the title picture for now, but most definitely should be at 135lbs.
DAN HOOKER
“The Hangman” picked up a string of impressive wins in the UFC’s lightweight division between 2017 and 2021, beating the likes of Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta, Gilbert Burns and Jim Miller. His record at 155lbs during that five-year spell sits at 8 wins and 4 defeats, but losses against the biggest names in the division such as Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev convinced the Australian to think about a move down to 145lbs.
Image: UFC.com
His featherweight debut against Arnold Allen in London, England ended disastrously. At 6 feet tall, Hooker looked frail and weakened at 145lbs, and Allen destroyed him in little over two minutes. Hooker has since returned to the lightweight division and reeled off victories over Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner.
One thing we know for certain: finding the right weight class is of paramount importance for a fighter. It can be the defining factor between a promising career and a championship legacy in the highly demanding world of the UFC.
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Paddy Pimblett thinks Jon Jones‘ insistence on fighting Stipe Miocic is nothing but a big “f*ck you” to his…
Daniel Cormier believes MMA fans need to respect Michael Chandler for what he has accomplished in his career. Fans…
