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‘I Was Crushed’ – Khalil Rountree Shares ‘Super Emotional’ Story Sparring Pre-Strikeforce Daniel Cormier

MMA journalist Brett Okamoto left Daniel Cormier in shock by revealing that the former two-division UFC champ had sparred with Khalil Rountree way back in the 2000s. It was in Wanderlei Silva’s gym; both were quite new to MMA. Unsurprisingly, Cormier ended up rag-dolling Rountree with his wrestling. “The War Horse” was just starting to […]

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Unsurprisingly, Cormier ended up rag-dolling Rountree with his wrestling. “The War Horse” was just starting to train MMA at the time while DC was close to fighting for Strikeforce after representing the USA in the Olympics. It is safe to assume that Rountree wasn’t mentally prepared to be manhandled.

While Cormier might have treated the sparring session like any other, here’s how it became a significant learning experience for Rountree, who’s now challenging Alex Pereira for the UFC light heavyweight championship at UFC 307…

Khalil Rountree Explains Why Sparring Daniel Cormier Made Him Want To Quit Fighting

Cormier finally asked Rountree about their decade-old sparring session while interviewing the UFC 307 title challenger on his YouTube channel.

“The War Horse” revealed that he, alongside DC, weighed in close to 280 pounds which explains why they were expected to spar together. Both UFC veterans were complete MMA amateurs at the time and as soon as Rountree started swinging, DC did what he knew best.

“I was like, maybe 280, and you were coming in around the same. You were making your transition, about to fight in Strike Force. You came to Wanderlei’s to train. I was swinging and I hit you with some stuff and you picked me up and you slammed me. And you were all over me. I think we did two rounds. After that, I was like super emotional and my boxing coach came over. He wrote your name on a piece of paper, he put it in my shirt, he said go home and watch that on YouTube. And I typed your name, and I was like, ‘”Okay, that’s why!” You slammed me bro, it was like, and I didn’t even have an amateur fight yet.”

As a big man, Rountree wasn’t used to being slammed and after two rounds, he couldn’t help but be demotivated. His boxing coach informed the UFC light heavyweight about Cormier’s accolades in wrestling which made him feel much better about the sparring session.

Despite having no MMA experience, Cormier, by this time, had already been an Olympic wrestler and a well-known name in the wrestling community.

“We were sparring and I was swinging boom, I must have hit you and you picked me and boom! I was crushed coz I was like damn, I’ve never been slammed like that in my life.”

It’s very amusing to see how Cormier and Rountree crossed paths over a decade before and how different their lives have been since the sparring session. While DC has retired as one of the all-time greats, the latter aims to grab the title at UFC 307 and build a legacy of his own.

ALSO READ: Du Plessis’ Coach Reveals His Fight Plans, Predicts Strickland Won’t Be Next Opponent

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Daniel Cormier: Alex Pereira’s Rapid Development Could Change the Game at UFC 307

There aren’t many fighters in the history of MMA who have achieved the kind of success Alex Pereira has. A victory over Khalil Rountree this weekend at UFC 307 would allow Pereira to break the record for the fewest days needed to defend a UFC title three times. What makes this even more remarkable is […]

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There aren’t many fighters in the history of MMA who have achieved the kind of success Alex Pereira has.

A victory over Khalil Rountree this weekend at UFC 307 would allow Pereira to break the record for the fewest days needed to defend a UFC title three times.

What makes this even more remarkable is that heading into this fight, his overall MMA record stands at just 11-2.

When Pereira entered the UFC after a legendary kickboxing career, it was clear he would be a dangerous matchup for anyone in striking exchanges. However, questions arose about how quickly he could round out his overall game with limited time in the sport.

“Poatan,” as he’s known, believes that he’s developing even faster than his competition because he still has so much to learn.

Daniel Cormier Says Alex Pereira Believes He’s Catching Up Quickly

On the final episode of ESPN MMA’s Good Guy / Bad Guy before UFC 307, Daniel Cormier shared insights from his conversations with Pereira during fight week.

“DC” explained that while Pereira was still essentially an amateur when he arrived in the UFC, Pereira feels like he’s covering a lot of ground between fights.

Cormier described how Pereira is able to improve more than most elite fighters during his training camps, despite already being the top 205-pound fighter in the world.

“We keep saying he’s an amateur, he recognizes that but also says, ‘If I’m the best in the world now, imagine what I can be.’ Isn’t that a crazy thought? He was an amateur and became the world champ. Our improvements are usually incremental—like footwork adjustments—but he’s getting better in wrestling, cardio, and the clinch. He’s literally improving leaps and bounds every time, and he’s already the world champion.”

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Daniel Cormier Shares How Cain Velasquez is Handling Impending Attempted Murder Trial

Daniel Cormier believes his longtime friend and teammate Cain Velasquez is at peace with whatever outcome surfaces from his…

Daniel Cormier believes his longtime friend and teammate Cain Velasquez is at peace with whatever outcome surfaces from his attempted murder trial in California.

Velasquez will appear in Santa Clara County District Court on October 18th for sentencing on attempted murder and other charges stemming from a 2022 incident. He allegedly attempted to shoot and kill Harry Goularte, who is accused of molesting Velasquez’s son.

Velasquez faces a potential jail sentence for attempted murder and weapons-related charges. He posted bail in October 2022 after an eight-month incarceration but remains under house arrest.

Velasquez pleaded no-contest to the charges, effectively avoiding a life sentence. Cormier, who speaks often with the former UFC heavyweight champion, revealed how Velasquez is handling the stress of his case.

Daniel Cormier: Cain Velasquez ready to accept the consequences

In a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cormier weighed in on the final weeks of Velasquez’s attempted murder trial.

“Now, he’s ready to stand up and take his consequence,” Cormier said of Velasquez’s sentencing. “He went to jail for a while, it was the saddest thing. I would go [to jail], sit with him, and the things we spoke about. It was so crazy because to me, he was the reason I knew I could be a world champ. Because out of our gym, he made it possible to dream that big. Watching the way he worked, watching how committed he was to becoming the best in the world. I knew that I could be the best…

“Then I sat there, you go to jail, and there’s this glass thing in between you and the person you get on the phone [with]…we’d have these great conversations…he was spending so much time by himself, 23 hours a day by himself, because of the confinement they had,” Cormier continued on Velasquez. “The celebrity aspect of it, they didn’t want to put him in general population, so he had to stay by himself all the time. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen, but we’re all pretty sure there’s going to be some sort of jail time. We hope it won’t be a lot, because he’s been doing the right things since he got out.” (h/t BJPenn)

Velasquez retired from MMA after a loss to Francis Ngannou in 2019. He’s regarded as one of the greatest UFC heavyweight champions of all time and could join Cormier in the UFC Hall of Fame.

Daniel Cormier Nearly Walks Out of Podcast After Host Dubs Jon Jones ‘The Michael Jordan of MMA’

Daniel Cormier nearly walked out on Kamaru Usman’s Pound 4 Pound podcast after the former welterweight world champion likened…

Daniel Cormier nearly walked out on Kamaru Usman’s Pound 4 Pound podcast after the former welterweight world champion likened Jon Jones to NBA legend Michael Jordan.

It’s no secret that ‘DC’ has a deep hatred for Jones. Their rivalry dates back almost a decade when the Hall of Famers first squared off at UFC 182 for the light heavyweight championship. ‘Bones’ won the bout via unanimous decision, but their iconic rivalry prompted the promotion to book a rematch between the two at UFC 214.

This time around, Jones finished Cormier in the third round, but the result was later overturned after Jones was found to have tested positive for a banned substance.

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Regularly citing Jones’ multiple banned substance violations and his slew of run-ins with the law, Cormier has regularly lobbied against the notion that ‘Bones’ is the undisputed GOAT of mixed martial arts.

So it should come as no surprise that ‘DC’ was ready to get up and walk out on Kamaru Usman after ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ suggested that Jon Jones is the Michael Jordan of MMA.

Daniel Cormier throws a fit over Jon Jones/Michael Jordan comparison

It all began as Usman started to sing the praises of Jones and likened him to Conor McGregor in that he, like the Irishman, has gotten to a point in his career where he can handpick his opponents. Cormier quickly chimed in, saying:

“I thought you were gonna say Michael Jordan or some crazy sh*t like that. If you would’ve said that I was leaving,”

Things got a little heated between the two when Usman doubled down, suggesting that Jones is an MMA version of the six-time NBA champion.

“To be honest, Jon is in a sense the Michael Jordan that we’ve seen in MMA,” Usman stated.

That pissed Cormier off something terrible. So much so that ‘DC’ threatened to get up and walk out of the interview altogether.

“No he isn’t,” Cormier replied matter-of-factly. “I’m about to leave, are you done with the interview? Do you just wanna be done? So you’re telling me Jon Jones is the Michael Jordan and Lebron James of MMA? You’re gonna sit up here in real life on five cameras (and say that)?”

Jon Jones is scheduled to return to the Octagon on November 16 when the promotion heads back to the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, for UFC 309. There, ‘Bones’ will put his undisputed heavyweight championship on the line against two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic.

In all likelihood, Daniel Cormier will be on the call that night and get a cageside seat for Jones’ first heavyweight title defense.

Kamaru Usman Narrates Never-Before-Told High School Meeting With Daniel Cormier That Inspired His Career

In 2012, Kamaru Usman made his pro debut in MMA in what would be the start of an incredibly successful career. Like many martial artists that grew up in the United States, he came to the sport via a wrestling background – but there weren’t many role models for him to look up to. Having […]

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In 2012, Kamaru Usman made his pro debut in MMA in what would be the start of an incredibly successful career.

Like many martial artists that grew up in the United States, he came to the sport via a wrestling background – but there weren’t many role models for him to look up to.

Having been born in Nigeria, Kamaru and his family moved to Dallas, Texas when he was just eight years old, which was a culture shock for him at the time.

Usman eventually found the path that would lead him to become a UFC champion, thanks to some peers who inspired him.

Kamaru Usman Details Daniel Cormier Meeting That Gave Him Something To Strive For

On a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Usman and Henry Cejudo were joined by former UFC champ-champ Daniel Cormier.

Being eight years older, Cormier was someone that Usman looked up to when he first encountered him via wrestling.

“DC” and Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal weren’t just incredibly impressive wrestlers that inspired “The Nigerian Nightmare”, they were people that he could relate to.

Usman told the story about the first time that he met Cormier in person, having seen him compete in wrestling, and how that impacted his own life and career trajectory.

“We saw you guys [Cormier and Lawal] trying to sneak in, trying to get in to train, to practice while there was a break, so we ran up and we was like, ‘Yo, King Mo!’… you didn’t give me no damn hug. I would tell you this though, you did dap us up and you were just like, talked a little to us for a little bit, asked us what, and then my friend was like, ‘Yo I know what you did, I saw what you did at real pro wrestling.’ And I remember you going, ‘What you see?’

“And you just joked with us and it was just that little moment, that little interaction that was so meaningful. We was like, ‘Oh my god, there’s these guys that look like us, they deal with similar circumstances that we have to deal with in this sport, and they’re at that level. Oh we can get there’. And I can’t tell you what that did for me.”

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Former Opponent Feels LHW Jon Jones Would Fight Tom Aspinall Better Than Heavyweight

After vacating his UFC light heavyweight title, Jon Jones was inactive for three years until he finally came back as a heavyweight. He captured the heavyweight belt by submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, but after suffering a significant injury, the champion has been gone for another long stretch of time. During that time, there […]

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After vacating his UFC light heavyweight title, Jon Jones was inactive for three years until he finally came back as a heavyweight.

He captured the heavyweight belt by submitting Ciryl Gane at UFC 285, but after suffering a significant injury, the champion has been gone for another long stretch of time.

During that time, there has been a lot of talk about fans wanting him to fight the interim champion Tom Aspinall, who many believe is the present and future of the weight class.

It looks far more likely that Jones will retire without facing Aspinall, after he meets Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 309 in November.

Daniel Cormier Says Jon Jones Would Fight Better Against Tom Aspinall If He Weighed Less

During his appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Daniel Cormier spoke about how Jones matches up with Aspinall.

Having faced “Bones” on two occasions, “DC” said that he thinks whilst Jones’ experience is an advantage, he’s been through a lot of gruelling fights during his career.

Cormier also said that another factor that makes him seriously consider whether Aspinall could be the first guy to beat the UFC heavyweight champion is the fact that Jones isn’t naturally suited to that weight class.

He spent a lot of time building himself up to that frame but as a result, will sacrifice the speed that he had at light heavyweight.

That makes Cormier believe that the heavyweight champ would fair better against a big, powerful and fast knockout artist like Aspinall if he was fighting at a smaller weight.

“All those guys that fought him [Jones] close, that takes its toll. I think that this kid [Aspinall] is as dangerous for him as anyone he’s ever been in there with. Partly because that’s not his weight class. If he’s at 205, I bet if he’s weighing 215 [pounds], he would fight Tom Aspinall better than him weighing 245-pounds. 220 in his 205 frame, he could fight Tom Aspinall better then he’d fight him at 250 because while he didn’t last long with Ciryl, he didn’t look as fast.”

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