White: Cormier one of the greatest of all time

There’s a very short list of potential candidates for greatest fighter of all time that includes Fedor Emelianenko, Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Anderson Silva. After UFC 226 on Saturday night, the group increased by one – UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. At the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White explained why.

One of the best of all-time, said White, as transcribed by Alexander K. Lee for MMA Fighting. I think that what this does is finally gives him the respect that he deserves,. He’s a two-division champion and now he’s got a big fight ahead of him, a big payday, and it couldn’t happen to a better guy. He’s an incredible ambassador for the sport.

I said a long time ago, I told Daniel, ‘If you’re my champion for the rest of my career, I’ll be a very happy man.’ He’s a great analyst, he does a great job on television. I just can’t say enough good things about the guy and I’m really happy for him.

He’s such a unique guy, in every way, shape, or form. He’s so articulate, he’s a really smart guy. I love the way when he’s commentating, how he can break down a fight and explain it to you. It’s almost like Rogan, he’s so good. He’s great at interviewing people.

Then you talk about him as a fighter. He definitely doesn’t look like a fighter, looks out of shape, looks heavy. When you think about him going in there now with a heavyweight, if you notice in the beginning of the fight, every shot he landed on Stipe was busting Stipe up; both his eyes, his nose. So he’s got a lot more power than he gets credit for. When he goes in against somebody wrestling, the slam that he had on Dan Henderson, to do that to a guy like Dan Henderson, holy s***. He’s such a well-rounded, incredible human being. Forget about fighter, I love Cormier and I can’t say enough good things about him.

Next stop for Daniel Cormier is a fight that will make him millions, vs. former heavyweight champion and WWE superstar Brock Lesnar. Lesnar entered the Octagon post fight and went full heel in a moment that left some uneasy for it’s blurring of the blurry line between MMA and professional wrestling. White said the rivalry goes back many years – both were Div I wrestlers in 2000, albeit in different divisions.

They’ve known each other a long time and the whole wrestling thing, and they talk a lot of shit to each other about wrestling and who would have won in wrestling and who would have done this and that, said White. You can ask Cormier about it, but there is a thing with those two. Who would win? Now they’re gonna find out.

He’s gonna start getting the respect he deserves and has deserved for a while now, but when I look at Daniel Cormier’s performance tonight at heavyweight, retirement doesn’t even come close to popping into my mind.”

Before DC vs. Lesnar happens, Brock has to spend many months in the USADA testing pool. And before that even begins, he has to be clean. So that happens later. For now, just enjoy that Daniel Cormier is one of the greatest of all time.

As to what that makes Jon Jones? A guy who made a lot of poor decisions in life.