Former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier has been receiving a lot of pushback for his commentary of late. Cormier works most of the big events for the UFC as an analyst, and his job is to call it as he sees it.
Sometimes, that doesn’t go over well with fighters or even members of the MMA community. Cormier has been criticized for his commentary before, including remarks during fights that some fighters perceived as biased.
I spoke with former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley recently, and he was critical of some of the things Cormier has said about him.
Welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley has also had an issue with Cormier, and most recently, fast-rising middleweight prospect Bo Nickal took umbrage with something DC said during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 16.
Nickal won a unanimous decision over veteran Paul Craig at MSG, but the fight didn’t have a ton of action. The accomplished wrestler never took the fight to the ground out of respect for Craig’s submission prowess.
Nickal’s wrestling credentials include being a three-time NCAA champion and a Dan Hodge Trophy winner, making him one of the most accomplished wrestlers to transition into MMA. Nickal’s wrestling resume made it peculiar to some to see him elect to keep the fight standing for three rounds.
During the fight, Cormier shot down the idea of Nickal being ready to face No. 3-ranked middleweight Khamzat Chimaev. Cormier said, “He’s not ready for Khamzat.”
Chimaev’s rise in the UFC has been marked by dominant performances, including grabbing two impressive stoppage wins over a ten-day span.
Chimaev has also secured a victory over Gilbert Burns in 2022 and most recently a first-round submission win over former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.
Still, Nickal didn’t like what Cormier said.
“To hear things like, DC say, ‘Oh, he’s not ready for Khamzat.’ I think he was kind of trying to like be respectful, but also trying to like, I don’t know, but maybe like, set me down a peg. It was just weird to hear. I just know the people who are in my corner and who would give me honest, genuine feedback, they were very happy with the victory. I was very happy with the victory.”
Here is a look at the clip of Nickal’s comments:
Cormier took to his YouTube channel to offer a response.
“This one kind of took me a little by surprise,” Cormier said. “I do like Bo. I do believe that at some point he’s going to be a champion. I think that he’s respectful so he’s trying to say things the nicest way he possibly can. I think he may have misunderstood what I’m trying to say. What I was more trying to say in this fight is let’s not rush him into fights with people who have so much more experience.”
Cormier wante to make sure Nickal and everyone else listening knows, he wasn’t down on the prospects performance against a dangerous fighter like Craig.
“I thought he did really good,” Cormier continued. “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. Let’s just take our time. There’s no need to rush him. That’s all I’m saying.”
Here is a short clip from Cormier’s YouTube channel:
Nickal, who will be 29 in January, has mostly run roughshod over everyone put in front of him in seven professional fights. On his current trajectory, Nickal could easily be matched against a ranked opponent in his next fight.
I could easily see Nickal matched up against No. 12 Jack Hermansson or even No. 15 Michel Pereira in his next fight. There is also the possibility Nickal could get one more fight against an opponent who sits just outside of the Top 15.
Cormier was right in saying Nickal isn’t quite ready for Chimaev, but it’s possible that statement applies to everyone in the division. If and when Chimaev gets a shot at the middleweight championship, it’s possible he could dominate Dricus Du Plessis or Sean Strickland if the latter gets the shot before Khamzat.
Chimaev is currently ranked No. 3 at middleweight in the UFC. Nickal hasn’t yet cracked the Top 15. He doesn’t need to worry about a Top-5 guy before he becomes a Top-15 guy himself.
Nickal has as much upside as anyone in the division, but Cormier is correct. There is no need to rush him.
