As a fighting legend of MMA, Darren Till has no issues with UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier. As a UFC commentator, however, is a different story.
Cormier came to the defense of Usman Nurmagomedov, who jumped into the octagon immediately after his brother, Umar Nurmagomedov, suffered a knockout loss to Song Yadong this past Saturday in the UFC Shanghai main event. Usman's reaction to the finish weren't well received overall, with critics saying he had no business being in the cage and pointing out that Usman appeared to hold back from throwing an elbow at Song while he celebrated his win.
Cormier, who was closely tied to Team Nurmagomedov at American Kickboxing Academy during his career, saw things differently as he came to Usman's defense. Cormier said he was inclined to give Usman "grace" since Umar is his brother and called out critics for their "conspiracy theories" about the apparent held-back elbow strike.
That doesn't sit with Till, who made that very clear in an X post on Tuesday.
"Why is DC always on the defensive of the Nurmagemadovs?" Till wrote. He added, "I am going to be honest as much as I think you are one of the best fighters ever in the UFC, The way you are as a company man and the views are f*cking sh*t. Stop commentating and go and be an ambassador for fat camp you f*cking potato man constantly finding excuses for that side."

#brother

Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let's start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026.
Dana White responds to Khamzat's UFC demands — and 'Borz' fans are not gonna like the answer: This is textbook Uncle Dana non-answer.
Jon Jones slams Daniel Cormier for calling Khabib the GOAT: 'Jealousy runs so deep through your blood': "Bones" knows how to make the conversation about himself each and every time. It's a gift!
Oh Lord! Yair Rodriguez bails on Noche UFC 4 main event, Jean Silva gets new opponent (Updated): Jean Silva never should have been booked versus Yair anyway — a **** le eliminator vs. "Aljo" was the real move.

#dana #welcome #midnight #wednesday

ONE Championship's loss is the UFC's gain – maybe.
ONE contender Akbar Abdullaev is headed to Dana White's Contender Series, as he's slated for a battle vs. Urijah Faber A1 Combat standout Anthony Figueroa at the Sept. 15 event at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
Two people with knowledge recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Kyrgyzstan's Abdullaev (13-0) allegedly split from ONE in the spring. Abdullaev is deemed "the uncrowned champion" by fans, as he defeated champion Tang Kai by fifth-round TKO stoppage but failed the hydration test, making him ******* le-ineligible. Abdullaev has a 100 percent finishing rate through 13 professional fights with 12 knockouts and one submission.
Figueroa (9-1) is a second-generation fighter. His father, who shares the same name, competed six times for Strikeforce from 2006 to 2008. In nine professional wins, Figueroa has four finishes, including three knockouts and one submission. Former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier has taken Figueroa under his wing.

#abdullaev #champion #professional

This is the UFC 330 live blog for Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry, the welterweight championship main event Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
Islam Makhachev reigns as the No. 1-ranked fighter in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings, while Garry is tied with Michael Morales for the No. 3 spot at 170 pounds in our Global Rankings.
Not only is Makhachev (28-1) looking to join Henry Cejudo, Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones, and Amanda Nunes as the only fighters in UFC history to successfully defend ****** les in two weight classes, he also goes for his 17th straight win, which put him in sole possession of the promotion's longest-ever win streak, passing the legendary Anderson Silva. Makhachev already holds the record for the most successful UFC lightweight ****** le defenses (4) and captured welterweight gold this past November with a dominant decision win over Jack Della Maddalena.
Garry (17-1) has long touted himself as a future UFC champion and the time is now for him to put his money where his mouth is. The brash Irishman won his first eight UFC fights before losing a decision to Shavkat Rakhmonov, but has bounced back with consecutive victories over former champion Belal Muhammad and top contender Carlos Prates. Though Garry is a live underdog, dethroning Makhachev would unquestionably send major ripples through the MMA world.
Check out the UFC 330 live blog for Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry below.

#makhachev #garry #rankings #blog

Dana White says longevity cost Khabib Nurmagomedov in the GOAT discussion.
Nurmagomedov (29-0) retired in the midst of his prime after three dominant UFC lightweight **** le defenses over Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and current champion Justin Gaethje. He hung his gloves up as a promise to his mother after his father and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, passed away.
In Daniel Cormier's eyes, Nurmagomedov is the GOAT after retiring with an undefeated record and zero involvement with performance-enhancing drugs. As Nurmagomedov's protege Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) enters his first welterweight **** le defense against Ian Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in Saturday's UFC 330 main event (Paramount+) at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, his name is now being thrown around in the GOAT conversation.
"He's obviously accomplished more than Khabib because he fought longer," White told TMZ Sports of Makhachev. "Who knows what Khabib could have accomplished if he had stayed in the game. And realistically, if Khabib had done what everybody pretty much knows Khabib could have done, he definitely would be the GOAT."
As for Makhachev, White already said he's on his way to becoming the greatest of all time. With a win, Makhachev can break the record for most consecutive wins in UFC history, surpassing Anderson Silva's mark of 16. However, the UFC CEO said one thing is hurting Makhachev's case from being No.1.

#nurmagomedov #GOAT #title

Daniel Cormier wants Ali Abdelaziz to pump the brakes on PFL champion Usman Nurmagomedov's chances against top UFC lightweights.
Nurmagomedov (22-0) is a free agent after knocking out Archie Colgan in the first-round of the PFL New York main event earlier this month. If Nurmagomedov does end up signing with the UFC, his manager, Abdelaziz, claimed on the "Pound 4 Pound" podcast that he would have his way with Ilia Topuria, Paddy Pimblett, Charles Oliveira, and Max Holloway – which Cormier thinks is an absurd statement to make.
"I get it, that's your guy, you're a promoter, but you're speaking about the absolute best guys in the world," Cormier said on his YouTube channel. "Now, to have faith and think Usman Nurmagomedov can fight these guys, absolutely. ... I think Usman Nurmagomedov is special. I think Usman Nurmagomedov, if he comes to the UFC, immediately becomes one of the top contenders in the organization. I have seen this young man train. I have seen him work. I know that he has championship-level experience."
While Nurmagomedov got some of that championship-level experience through two tough outings against Paul Hughes, Cormier said the UFC would be a step up in competition.
"As good as the Irish kid is, the UFC guys are better," Cormier said. "So you would imagine that these fights would be ultra competitive, but that's the beauty in having a guy separate himself from the world in a different organization. That's the beauty because while what Ali says is very out there, when he looks at that group of fighters, he would expect that because that's all they've really done. Umar has done very well. Khabib dominated; Islam has dominated.

#cormier #think #pound

A new lightweight contender has arrived.
Quillan Salkilld (13-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) had to eat a punch or two, but mostly tore right through Mateusz Gamrot (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 284 main event at a newly refurbished Meta APEX in Las Vegas. And now that more fans can take in a show like Saturday's, they got a treat out of the gate.
A Salkilld win by submission over a credentialed wrestler and grappler like Gamrot was one of the least likely predicted outcomes in the headliner. But afterward, Salkilld said his rear-naked choke with 35 seconds left in the first is just the type of performance lightweights can expect – and he has his sights set on the top five.
"I just proved I'm the real f*cking deal now. These top five (lightweights) better (watch out)," Salkilld said on the microphone with Daniel Cormier. "I believe I can get it done within the first minute or the last minute. ... I think I deserve someone who's in the top five or close to it."
Salkilld tried to get a quick start and took the center quickly. In some tight exchanges early, Salkilld landed and forced Gamrot to look for a takedown – not at all unexpected. He got a single-leg briefly, but also appeared to be hurt.

#salkilld #first #lightweights #quillan

Darren Elkins' retirement bout at UFC Fight Night 284 lasted less than a minute after Yadier del Valle spoiled the moment with a quick finish.
Del Valle (29-13 MMA, 19-12 UFC) shut down Elkins' (11-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) first takedown attempt, found his distance then landed a massive left hook that floored the longtime veteran and caused the referee to jump in at the 35-second mark of Round 1.
Check out the replay of the finish below (via X):
After the fight, del Valle relished in the glory of his victory, but also made sure to heap praise on Elkins after his final moment.
"Please, a round of applause for Darren Elkins," del Valle told Daniel Cormier through an interpreter in his post-fight interview. "It's his last fight here. I'm so happy I was able to share the octagon with him – a great career."

#elkins #check

Daniel Cormier and many others in the MMA community were not pleased with Billy Ray Goff's corner after his TKO loss to Ty Miller at UFC Fight Night 284.
After Goff (9-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) got battered for two rounds by Miller, there was reluctance to start the third round of the welterweight bout at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Goff's corner sent him out, and almost immediately he got smashed with a huge punch by Miller (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) that sent him flying back to the cage and folded into the canvas at the 0:15 mark of Round 3.
UFC Hall of Famer Cormier, who served as color commentators, immediately threw criticism at Goff's corner.
"You could see his orbital bone is broken – look at his eye," Cormier said on the broadcast. "Look at his right eye. And then when he got hit on the right eye he went down. The coach told him, 'Don't engage, just circle' and essentially run. Why not just stop the fight? ... The writing was on the wall, especially if that's the advice you're giving your guy going into the third round."
Many others in the MMA community agreed with Cormier's take on the result.

#look #others

Miles Johns got his first win since June 2024 at UFC Fight Night 284, and did by being the first to finish Gianni Vazquez.
Johns (16-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) got clipped off balance with glancing shot during an early exchange in the bantamweight bout on Saturday at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. As Vazquez (13-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) pursued him, he dropped his hand down and got nailed with a left hook that put him down. A few precise ground strikes later, and the skid was over for "El Chapo."
Johns took a fight on the card on 10 days' notice against Jessie Rosas, who was pulled by doctors during fight week. Vasquez stepped in, and was knocked out for the first time in his career. Check out the replay below (via X):
After the fight, a relieved Johns said he knew his back was against the wall in his situation. He responded in an admirable fashion, and said he showed the world he "belongs in the UFC."
"It feels so good," John said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. "My last few years in the UFC, I don't think people really know all that. Every time Sean (Shelby) sends me a name, my answers is 'Yes sir.' I'm just grateful for the opportunity to be here. It's crazy. I can't believe it."

#fight #time #june

JonJones remains highly confident in his ability.

In a recent interview, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight and lightheavyweight **** leholder weighed in on how he believes a fightagainst fellow former two-division king AlexPereira and a wrestling match against longtime rival DanielCormier would unfold, backing himself in both scenarios.
Jones and Pereira were seemingly on a collision course when thelatter announced his move up to heavyweight for UFC Freedom 250. However, with Jones' ongoing stalemate withthe UFC regarding his future, a fight against "Poatan" has fallenthrough.

Nevertheless, Jones cites size as a key factor at heavyweight,claiming his former opponents StipeMiocic and Ciryl Ganeare bigger than Pereira, who previously competed at 185 pounds.

"I watched Pereira train," Jones said in an interview with AFLGlobal. "I see his level of wrestling and it's way behind. I feelas if Stipe Miocic is a true heavyweight. He's a big, big boy.Ciryl Gane, when you see him in person, he's a big, big boy. AlexPereira is not a big, big boy. He's a lean guy. I think right nowhe weighs maybe 250."

Jones believes his size and grappling would have overwhelmedPereira, predicting a submission win had they collided inside theOctagon.

"I feel as if my physical strength would have been too much forhim," Jones said. "I felt as if the moment I would have gotten himto the ground, my submissions would have come pretty quickly. Imean, everyone knows that. I think that's the clearest path tovictory for me against Alex Pereira. But we're not fighting. I am afan of him. I support him, and I want to see him do well."

"Bones" also discussed his approach towards a potential wrestlingmatch with Cormier, who he's already shared the cage withtwice.

"I think I would have beat D.C. in a wrestling match," Jones said."It wouldn't be easy, but I think I would beat him in wrestling. Ihear that he has problems with his back, so my strategy would be tojust try to wear on him. Not shoot, not go for the takedown, butjust hand fight, hand fight, hand fight and see if I could wear onthat back."

#pereira #hand

Ryan Clark was recently fired from ESPN.
The former NFL safety, who won a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2009, also captured a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Personality/Studio **** yst at the 44th Annual Sports Emmy Awards back in May 2023. But UFC fans probably know him best for his now-canceled ESPN show with former two-division MMA champion Daniel Cormier.
Clark is one of several high-profile layoffs by the network this week.
“FOFO….Podcast with Dana [White] aired a day after he was fired,” UFC heavyweight Josh Hokit wrote on social media. “Every podcast creates a script of questions days in advance of the show. The mere negative thought towards the ‘Incredible Hok’ brings a curse. Let this be a lesson.”
Hokit ended with the hashtag #HokitCurse .

#emmy #podcast

Michael Bisping did everything in his power to keep this week's The Ultimate Fighter 34 fight from being canceled; unfortunately for his team, his efforts ended up working in Daniel Cormier's favor.
Team Cormier took the lead at 3-2 on the season with Brazilian strawweight Tina Black winning a grudge match against countrywoman Natalia Alves. The former Invicta FC champion out-struck Alves and foiled her attempts to take her to the ground, then capped off her performance with a knockout flurry late in Round 2.
Watch the finish below.
There was plenty of drama leading up to the fight, including Bisping tricking Black's coach outside of the show, UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber, into believing that Black was on his team so that he would reveal the Team Cormier fighter's weaknesses.
With knowledge of Black's supposed limitations in hand, Alves was to utilize her wrestling to dominate the fight, but it didn't go according to plan and her teammate, TUF 34 guest blogger Xavier Franklin explained what went wrong.

Did you know that the 34th season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), coached by UFC Hall of Famers Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping, is currently airing on Paramount+ every Tuesday?
Well, if not, I got you covered.
In the fifth episode, Cormier’s No. 1 women’s pick and top Brazilian prospect Valesca Machado, better known as “Tina Black,” scored a blistering technical knockout win over fellow countrywoman Natalia Alves in the second round of their quarterfinal matchup inside the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
And it was not close.
Machado was the much more experienced fighter, and it showed almost immediately. In the first round, Alves — a grappling specialist — tried desperately to get the fight to the ground, but Machado shut down every takedown attempt and made her pay for it on the feet.

While any business outside the organization is still up in the air, the Vegas Golden Knights have succeeded in getting all of their internal affairs in order.
On Monday, Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon confirmed that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Lukas Cormier to a one-year contract.
The extension guarantees that the Golden Knights still have their restricted free agents under contract, also retaining the signing rights of forward Jakub Brabenec, who has signed to play with his hometown club of Brno in Czechia.
Cormier has spent the majority of his tenure with the Golden Knights organization with their AHL affiliate Henderson Silver Knights. Despite dealing with injuries, Cormier put together an impressive season with 47 points (eight goals, 39 ****** ists) in 49 games. The offensive instincts also lead to the defenseman often serving as quarterback on the Henderson power play, which finished at an AHL-high 26 percent conversion rate.
Cormier has also appeared in two games with the Golden Knights, recording his first career NHL point against the New York Islanders in his debut on Jan. 4, 2024.

Jon Anik, Joe Rogan, and Daniel Cormier were all cageside for UFC 264, the night Conor McGregor broke his leg against Dustin Poirier in summer 2021. Fast forward to July 11, 2026 and all three commentators will return to call McGregor’s long-awaited return to MMA, a five round rematch against Max Holloway atop the UFC 329 fight card.
Anik will handle play-by-play along with color from Rogan and Cormier.
That’s according to the folks at MMA Junkie, who also bring word that Bruce Buffer, Din Thomas, and Megan Olivi will return in their respective fight night roles. Desk ***** ysts include Kate Scott as well as former UFC champions Chris Weidman, Dominick Cruz, and Michael Bisping. Just like UFC 264, this weekend’s UFC 329 event takes place inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Let’s hope Rogan doesn’t “have a f—king podcast” after the fight.
“I look at the rest period that I have had, where I look at other competitors in the ***** e, including my opponent,” McGregor told CBS Sports. “I feel a lot more fresher than these opponents. I’ve had my time of rest, and I feel I’m coming into my prime now. I’ve only entered my prime for now and forever, so that is my mindset going in here.”

Ahead of Ian Garry'stitle fight against IslamMakhachev, DanielCormier has weighed in on the Irishman's mindset.

Garry is confident about beating Makhachev and recently predicted alate stoppage when they square off in the main event of UFC 330at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 15. Cormier opinedthat this approach could spell trouble for "The Future."
Cormier isn't a fan of Garry wanting to show off all his skills inevery aspect of MMA before finding a late finish. The UFC Hall ofFamer said on his YouTube channel:

"Sometimes, a person is misguided in their thoughts, and whenthey're misguided in their thoughts, they set themselves up for avery, very bad night or a bad result. I'm not saying Ian Garrycannot beat Islam Makhachev. What I'm saying is you've got to takethat as it comes. You can't try to say, 'I want to beat the No. 1pound-for-pound fighter in the world in a certain round because Idon't want it to be a fluke.' If you win, it does not matter howyou win."

The former two-division champion claims that it shouldn't matter toa fighter if others consider their victory a fluke. All thatmatters is the result, whether it comes in the opening round or thefifth. He then encouraged Garry to let go of pre-fightpredictions.

"I would encourage him to let go of the idea that you want to callyour shot, and you call your shot later in the fight so that peopledon't have an opinion of what happened. It doesn't matter whathappens if you beat the best fighter in the world across all weightclasses, pound-for-pound. It doesn't matter how you win. It onlymatters that you win. And if Ian Garry wins by a fast knockout, ifIan Garry wins by submission, or if Ian Garry wins by decision, itdoesn't matter."

Garry is a sizable betting underdog heading into the Makhachevfight. However, the last two men's championship bouts in theUltimate Fighting Championship have resulted in upsets, withSeanStrickland beating KhamzatChimaev at UFC 328and JustinGaethje defeating IliaTopuria at UFC Freedom 250.

Welcome to Midnight Mania!
Let’s start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
Mystic Mac? Study proves more than 71 percent of Conor McGregor’s fight predictions are wrong | UFC 329: Well … you miss every shot you don’t take?
Pic: Sunglass-wearing Ilia Topuria shows face for first time since UFC Freedom 250 beatdown: Ilia Topuria seems to be healing well from several recent pictures and videos. Facial swelling can dissipate quickly!
‘On the UFC payroll’ Michael Bisping claps back at ‘horse sh*t’ Eddie Hearn – ‘I care about fighters!’: Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier have gone full “Company Man” in retirement, why deny it?

Did you know that the 34th season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), coached by UFC Hall of Famers Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping, is currently airing on Paramount+ every Tuesday?
Well, if not, I got you covered.
In the third episode, which aired Tuesday night (June 23, 2026), top Brazilian Strawweight prospect and grappling ace Gigi Canuto scored a blistering technical knockout win over Anita Karim — the first female fighter from Pakistan — in less than 30 seconds during their quarterfinal matchup inside the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Canuto wasted absolutely no time.
The Brazilian fired off three teep kicks within the first 20 seconds, and the third one folded Karim over in pain. Canuto immediately rushed forward, unloaded punches and added one final kick before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.

Josh Hokit doesn't care about unity.
The red-hot Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight prospect-turned-contender is still catching heat for his unnecessary and controversial post-fight comments at UFC Freedom 250 one week ago, where he called former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama a man.
UFC CEO Dana White condemned Hokit one day after the event, calling the comment "nasty and false."
Earlier this week, former two-division champion-turned-broadcaster Daniel Cormier also went after Hokit for the comment, as well as his cornball gimmick as a whole.
"He started his post-fight interview, and he was going to do one of those gimmicky things that honestly I think is lame," Cormier said. "He could have left, and he could have made more fans than he walked in there with because they would have gotten to see Josh Hokit. But instead, he goes and says the thing about Michelle Obama … I absolutely hated that. He needs to do better.

Hacked!
About an hour before the historic UFC Freedom 250 fight card went down outside the White House last weekend (Sun., June 14, 2026), the most random thing of the year happened: former two-division champion-turned UFC broadcaster Daniel Cormier appeared to tweet out screenshots of an alleged direct message conversation with Eric Trump.
In the alleged messages, Trump appeared to ask Cormier for insider information, betting tips and whether any of the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 fights were rigged. The post included a caption in which Cormier said he “would not tolerate that type of behavior.”
The tweet was quickly deleted, leading everyone to speculate whether UFC got involved or if something else was going on.
Cormier later tweeted, “Are people really this dumb?”

Eric Trump is denying accusations that he sought information in asking UFC commentator Daniel Cormier whether any fights on the White House South Lawn on Sunday are rigged.
Cormier reportedly posted screenshots of direct messages between him and Trump, which were quickly deleted, before the Freedom 250 event kicked off in the evening.
“The UFC is a sport that I am deeply passionate about,” Cormier appeared to write on X, adding: “I will not tolerate this type of insider behavior.”
The purported post — which a handful of users and reporters said they came across — seemingly shows Trump asking if the former UFC star planned on placing any bets and whether any of the fighters were injured.
“I’ll just cut to the chase,” Trump allegedly goes on to ask. “Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged?”

Joe Rogan says UFC Freedom 250 delivered in every way.
Justin Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) pulled off a massive upset by stopping Ilia Topuria (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) to claim the UFC lightweight **** le in Saturday's main event at the White House in Washington. In the co-main event, Ciryl Gane (14-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) spoiled Alex Pereira's heavyweight debut by scoring a second-round TKO to capture the interim belt.
Rogan was in awe of how UFC Freedom 250 played out, which saw all seven fights end by TKO or KO.
"This is the greatest night in the history of combat sports, and the greatest night in the history of MMA by far," Rogan said on the UFC on Paramount+ post-fight show. "There's nothing that's ever going to top this until something does."
Cormier doesn't see any event topping UFC Freedom 250. He thinks Gaethje realizing his ultimate moment at the White House was a perfect ending.