White: Lack of fan support for Cormier is weirdest thing ever
Dana White: “It’s the weirdest thing ever that he has not been embraced by the fans.”
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has fled the scene of a hit-and-run accident that injured a pregnant woman leaving drugs in his vehicle, tested positive for cocaine, been suspended for using a tainted bootleg erectile dysfunction drug, and otherwise has done his level best to enshrine himself in the A$$hole Hall of Fame. By contrast, Daniel Cormier represented the USA as captain of the US Olympic wrestling team, is one of the three best P4P fighters in the world, stays in the public eye as a host of UFC Tonight, bore up like a rock when he lost his father at a young age and lost a daughter when she was young, dropped a division to avoid fighting a teammate, and otherwise conducts himself in an exemplary fashion.
However, when Cormier and Jones and were scheduled for a rematch at UFC 197, at a press conference, fans booed DC and cheered Bones.
As I address these people in here, I say to you: Guys, I’ve been sober; I haven’t done all these things; I didn’t wreck my vehicle; I haven’t been suspended; I didn’t get stripped of my championship. I didn’t do all those things, said Cormier at the time, as transcribed by Tristen Critchfield for Sherdog. Guys, these are normal things that adult human beings do. You cheer this guy for saying he’s not going to do these things anymore. I have done this my entire life. But you boo me. Thank you.
During a recent appearance on “The Herd” UFC president Dana White expressed bafflement that Cormier has not been more ardently embraced by the fanbase.
It’s the weirdest thing ever that he has not been embraced by the fans, said White. He’s a great guy. He’s very well spoken. And his fights are exciting. Cormier is an exciting fighter. They like the bad boy Jon Jones. Last time we had a press conference with those two they were cheering Jon Jones and booing Cormier. It’s fascinating. I don’t get it. It is what it is.
Cormier fights Anthony Johnson in the main event of UFC 210 on Saturday night in Buffalo, New York. Jones returns from suspension this summer and will likely face the winner of the fight Saturday night.