Cormier: I stopped Cruz, Garbrandt from scrapping at UFC 202

UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier spoke recently with Fiaz Rafiq and Jamie Clubb for England’s The Independent, and said that in August he had to break up a near fight between Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt.

Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt ran into each other when Cody was about to fight Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 202 in Las Vegas, recalls Cormier. Dominick and I were actually doing our co-commentary, which is right next to the Octagon. Dominick and Cody passed each other and both came face to face. Cody is in a nice suit and Dominick is in a nice suit. And these two guys are in each other’s face now.

As normal, Cruz’s trash talk had gotten to his opponent, notably Dominick’s claim that Cody had “daddy issues.” Garbrandt’s coach Justin Buchholz knew it was about to go off, and implored Cormier to break it up.

God damn it, Danny, grab Cody,” shouted Buccholz according to Cormier. “He’s going after Cruz!

Cormier picks up the narration.

All of our bosses from the UFC and the TV bosses were there, but no one knew what to do, said Cormier. Everyone just kind of stood back. It got to the point that I thought I had to get in the middle and separate those two guys. If it wasn’t for me at UFC 202, I think Dominick and Cody would’ve fought in August because none of our bosses and TV crew was willing to actually get in the middle of two 135-pound men.”

I thought that was funny because these are big guys, these aren’t little guys back there backstage. But they all stood there with their hands in their pockets not sure how to break it up and stop the fight. And I ended it up stopping it. I actually made them wait for UFC 207.”