UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier was taken aback by Chael Sonnen’s assessment of Islam Makhachev.
UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev‘s move to welterweight prompted Chael Sonnen to question the pound-for-pound king’s intestinal fortitude.
After Makhachev announced his move to welterweight to challenge for Jack Della Maddalena‘s title, many accused him of ducking a fight against Ilia Topuria. This includes Sonnen, who took things a step further by labeling Makhachev’s decision a ‘cowardly’ move with the Topuria fight on the table.
Many of Makhachev’s current and former teammates, including Josh Thomson, have scolded Sonnen for his assessment. It didn’t take long for Sonnen’s ESPN co-host Daniel Cormier to weigh in.
Daniel Cormier deep dives into Chael Sonnen’s ‘cowardice’ comment about Islam Makhachev
During a recent upload to his YouTube channel, Cormier responded to Sonnen’s controversial remarks about his longtime teammate.
“I don’t know if he’s trying to troll me, rile me up, or if he truly believes what he’s saying,” Cormier said. “I don’t love the idea [of cowardice]…he had been having his eyes on 170, this isn’t something new that Makhachev was talking about. And how about the fact that people constantly call Islam, me, or anyone that cuts weight ‘weight bullies’? What about now that he’s going out and he’s going to fight in a weight class that most of you say is more suited for his size?
“How is that not doing exactly what people have called for?” Cormier continued. “How is that not courageous? I love Chael, and we have a lot of fun on our show, but you can’t say someone has that type of behavior when they’re doing that, and they’ve defended the belt multiple times. Short-notice, coming up a weight class, they’ve done just about everything they can to show that they’re willing to lay it on the line…
“This is the first time that Islam has put his wishes above what everybody else wants. Because when everybody else wanted him to fight Volk, he did. Arman? And when he couldn’t, he fought Moicano. Dangerous, no training camp, he did it on a day’s notice. He’s always done it. So to say that it wasn’t a great move in that regard, I don’t agree with that at all.”
As of this writing, Makhachev hasn’t responded directly to Sonnen’s assertion. Topuria and Makhachev’s former rival, Charles Oliveira, will fight for Makhachev’s vacated lightweight title at UFC 317 next month.
Charles Oliveira predicts a quick night vs. Ilia Topuria at UFC 317
Oliveira isn’t lacking confidence as he prepares to potentially hand Topuria his first-career loss at UFC 317. In a recent sitdown with Full Violence, Oliveira predicted a brutal knockout of Topuria when they meet in the Octagon next month.
Oliveira’s prediction comes after months of social media banter between the former lightweight champ and Topuria. A surging UFC star, Jean Silva, offered to replicate Topuria in Oliveira’s fight camp after a detailed breakdown of Topuria’s perceived flaws.
As UFC 317 quickly approaches, tensions are ramping up between Topuria and Oliveira. But Makhachev’s shadow cast over the division remains significant after his shocking decision to vacate the belt.
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