DC: How will AJ deal my with monster adversity?

Daniel Cormier appeared recently on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, and responded to critics who say because he lost to former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, he should not get a shot at Anthony Johnson to crown the new champion at UFC 187.

“I’m walking into a fight with Anthony Johnson and I’m going to get destroyed by him,” said Cormier as transcribed by Dave Doyle for MMAFighting.com. “It makes absolutely no sense to me. You know what, it’s a testament to what Anthony has done, but its also very disrespectful in the fact that, I’ve lost one time … the last time, when I lost rounds to Jones was the first time I’ve lost rounds in a fight. And now this guy that has actually recommitted himself to the sport. This guy that has done things that no one expected him to do is going to just walk through me. That makes no sense. I’m telling you right now I don’t buy it. I don’t believe it. “

“The truth of the matter is, I won 15 straight fights, got to the top of the sport. I fought for the UFC championship against the No. 1 pound for pound fighter in the world. Most guys lose early, most guys lose in the middle, most guys lose, even though its years before, they have hiccups. I never had that hiccup. I made it to the top of this sport before actually suffering my first loss, to the pound for pound No. 1 guy in the world. And somehow I’ve gone from this guy who, they thought I could beat the No 1 pound-for-pound guy in the world, to a complete scrub.”

“I don’t think (Johnson) is overrated, not one bit,. I think he deserves the credit he’s gotten … it’s not like I’m lying. I’m only stating facts, Rumble Johnson has smashed everyone over the course of nine fights. He beat Phil Davis every second of every round, he beat Andrei Arlovski every second of every round, actually Arlovski won a round when he didn’t finish him. But when he didn’t knock those guys out, he was still cruising. He hasn’t really been dealt that adversity he received at welterweight. So for me it’s a matter of seeing how does he deal with adversity now that he’s with that monster. People have made him out to be King Kong and Godzilla all at once, and he’s not like that.”

Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson fight for the UFC light heavyweight belt at UFC 187 on May 23, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.