Tag: daniel cormier

Daniel Cormier Brands Aspinall The World’s Best Heavyweight Over Ngannou, Jones

Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier believes Tom Aspinall currently holds the global heavyweight crown over both Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou. The debate surrounding who sits top spot as the world’s best heavyweight has picked up again following a standout performance from Ngannou this past weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Headlining a PFL pay-per-view, […]

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Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier believes Tom Aspinall currently holds the global heavyweight crown over both Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou.

The debate surrounding who sits top spot as the world’s best heavyweight has picked up again following a standout performance from Ngannou this past weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Headlining a PFL pay-per-view, “The Predator” debuted in the SmartCage by battering Renan Ferreira on the ground and rendering the Brazilian unconscious in the very first round. The result came in Ngannou’s first MMA bout since January 2022.

With the Cameroonian back in the discussion, he appears to be battling the UFC’s heavyweight champ, Jones, and his interim counterpart, Aspinall, for the global throne.

And although much of the discussion post-fight for Ngannou has centered around a long-desired clash with Jones, Cormier said during a recent episode of his Good Guy / Bad Guy show alongside Chael Sonnen on ESPN MMA‘s YouTube channel that they would be competing for silver.

After dismissing Ngannou’s claim to superiority over Jones and Aspinall, “DC” said he’d back the Englishman to beat both “The Predator” and “Bones,” leaving him as the best heavyweight in the world.

“I don’t believe he’s the best heavyweight, not Francis,” Cormier said. “I think the best heavyweight is Tom Aspinall, still. I still believe the best heavyweight in the world right now is Tom Aspinall. I think Jon is, but he’s older now. I think Aspinall’s still young, he’s fresh. There is something to not having everything yet. When you have everything, it’s hard, man. This guy Tom still doesn’t have everything. Sure, he’s headlined a couple of pay-per-view. But he’s not making seven figures every time he walks into the Octagon. He hasn’t been making a million dollars for 10 years like Jon Jones.

“I believe that Jones right now has everything. … There was a time he could go through anything to stay champion. Can he still do that? … Can he dig as deep as he did against Alexander Gustafsson?” Cormier continued. “Aspinall sure has a lot of questions, but when you look at these dudes all on paper, I would favor Tom to beat Francis, I would favor Tom to beat Stipe (Miocic), and I would actually favor Tom to beat Jon Jones right now.”

It remains to be seen what lies ahead in MMA for Ngannou, but given his position away from the UFC and the uncertainty surrounding suitable opposition, he may struggle to change the minds of those sharing Cormier’s sentiment.

Aspinall himself has cited Ngannou’s opponent options away from the Octagon as the reason why he doesn’t consider the Cameroonian a candidate for best-heavyweight status.

The Manchester native is confident that he holds that distinction, but he unfortunately won’t have the chance to prove it next time out. Much to his bemusement and the frustration of many fans, Jones won’t be unifying the title next month.

Instead, the former light heavyweight kingpin is set to put his gold on the line at UFC 309 against Miocic, who hasn’t competed since a knockout loss to Ngannou back in March 2021.

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Julianna Peña Urges Fans To Rewatch UFC 307 Fight Without ‘Garbage’ Commentary

UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña believes commentary “bias” has played a part in the negative reaction to her title win earlier this month. Peña returned to the mountaintop at 135 pounds in the co-main event of the UFC 307 pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, outpointing longtime rival Raquel Pennington on two of the three […]

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UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Julianna Peña believes commentary “bias” has played a part in the negative reaction to her title win earlier this month.

Peña returned to the mountaintop at 135 pounds in the co-main event of the UFC 307 pay-per-view in Salt Lake City, outpointing longtime rival Raquel Pennington on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

The result, which came over two years on from “The Venezuelan Vixen’s” first reign being brought to an end by Amanda Nunes, caused considerable debate.

On MMA Decisions, 25 out of 27 media members scored the five-round contest in favor of Pennington. That sentiment was also shared by 78 percent of over 500 fan scorecards that were submitted.

The newly crowned queen has been left bemused by the post-fight ‘robbery’ narratives, and she seemingly placed blame on the commentary team during an appearance on the debut episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned.

Peña branded the commentary “garbage” while reiterating the reasons why she’s confident that four of the five rounds were won by her.

“When you throw less and land more, when you’re giving the other girl a bloody nose and a goose egg on her head, when you’re taking her down, when you’re frickin’ making her eyes get as big as plates because you’re hitting her so hard and rocking her sh*t…you can’t tell me that I lost the fight,” Peña said. “I won that fight, and I’m so sick of all these people trying to like, make me feel like I didn’t win.

“Rewatch the fight without all the commentary bias and you will see clearly that I won that fight,” Peña continued. “Obviously all of the frickin’ MMA media hates my guts. … Every single one of them scored it against me. They need to go rewatch it without all that frickin’ garbage commentary and look at the significant strikes. I threw less and I landed more and they were harder shots. Rewatch it, please!”

Alongside the controversy regarding the scoring, the other major topic to emerge from Peña’s title win is the next step in the bantamweight division.

While Kayla Harrison’s victory over Ketlen Vieira on the UFC 307 card has left her as the consensus number one contender, “The Venezuelan Vixen” seemingly has other plans, frequently looking to entice Amanda Nunes back to complete their trilogy instead.

Continue Reading Julianna Peña Urges Fans To Rewatch UFC 307 Fight Without ‘Garbage’ Commentary at MMA News.

Former UFC Champ Highlights ‘Weirdest Thing’ About Fighting Alex Pereira

Alex Pereira will defend his UFC light heavyweight champion against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 this weekend. Winning would help him break Ronda Rousey’s record and make him the UFC champion to defend their belt three times in the shortest duration. Pereira’s rise to the top of the sport is unprecedented. He got a title […]

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Alex Pereira will defend his UFC light heavyweight champion against Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 this weekend. Winning would help him break Ronda Rousey’s record and make him the UFC champion to defend their belt three times in the shortest duration.

Pereira’s rise to the top of the sport is unprecedented. He got a title shot at Israel Adesanya after just three fights in the UFC and bagged the middleweight championship by knocking out the long-time champ in the fifth.

After his only UFC loss to “The Last Stylebender”, “Poatan” has continued his impressive run in the light heavyweight division. According to Daniel Cormier, fighting the Brazilian is a huge mental challenge as well, and Rountree might be already doing better than the likes of Jamahal Hill and Ji?í Procházka…

Daniel Cormier Gives Khalil Rountree The Edge Over Jamahal Hill And Ji?í Procházka Ahead Of UFC 307 Title Fight Against Alex Pereira

Cormier interviewed Rountree on his YouTube channel recently. When asked about the odds heavily favoring the champion, Rountree stated that people underestimate him because he doesn’t talk trash and is usually respectful during interviews.

To this, Cormier couldn’t help but bring up how fighters act unusual before taking on Pereira. Hill used several antics to try and get into the UFC light heavyweight kingpin’s head, with DC recalling him trying to break the arrow during Pereira’s walkout at UFC 300. Following the KO loss, Hill has been called out by fans for making excuses as well.

Prochazka, who’s lost twice to Pereira, recently claimed that the Brazilian uses black magic and spirits to beat his opponents. For someone as stoic as the Czech fighter, these claims were called strange by many.

Rountree, according to Cormier, doesn’t seem to be acting unusual leading up to his UFC 307 title fight. He’s still the nice guy in interviews and isn’t feeling the pressure of facing an intimidating opponent like Pereira.

“That’s you, right? That’s you! But, the weirdest thing about Pereira and dealing with Pereira, people start to act like not themselves. So, when he was walking to the Octagon, Jamahal Hill was like reaching over the cage like come on! He’s like very animated. Ji?í Procházka is just doing all kind of weird s**t. Jiri doing all kind of crazy s**t up in there. He’s doing this, he’s doing.. Jiri’s just not acting like himself, right?”

Continue Reading Former UFC Champ Highlights ‘Weirdest Thing’ About Fighting Alex Pereira at MMA News.

‘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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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 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.

Continue Reading ‘I Was Crushed’ – Khalil Rountree Shares ‘Super Emotional’ Story Sparring Pre-Strikeforce Daniel Cormier at MMA News.

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.”

Read also: UFC 307: Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Weigh-In Live Stream & Results

Continue Reading Daniel Cormier: Alex Pereira’s Rapid Development Could Change the Game at UFC 307 at MMA News.

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

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

Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez

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.

Cain Velasquez

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.

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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.

Cain Velasquez