Former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier recognizes there’s a time and place to promote yourself – and there are also times not to.
In a sport filled with varying levels of ego, Cormier thinks it would serve beneficial if fighters became comfortable with putting their self-image to the side in the wake of others’ recent successes.
“I think sometimes we, as athletes, we all have egos,” Cormier recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “We all have massive egos. And active competitors don’t like the spotlight to stray too far away from them, and that’s why you get that sometimes.
“Give the guy his time. Let the guys have their moment. We have been blessed with so many moments, moments that people are hoping to have just one. … We need to really sometimes take a step to the side and understand it can be about the other guy for one night. It doesn’t have to be about him the whole time, but give him his time, especially when they have performances like that.”
One particular case, Cormier laid out, that captured his attention recently was Jon Jones’ constant posting to social media after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s UFC 254 win over Justin Gaethje and subsequent retirement.
“I’m talking to all you Khabib fans out there,” Jones wrote that night. “Fifteen world titles to your guy’s four. And you guys really talking about who’s the best fighter ever? You guys are joking, right? Fifteen to four, are you guys kidding me?”
Cormier didn’t like the timing of his rival’s posts and explained why.
“I think the biggest case of that recently was when Khabib was the man and then Jones just kind of lost his mind,” Cormier said. “It wasn’t about him, so he lost his mind. This guy just had a great performance under the circumstances – lost his father – now everybody is like, ‘This guy’s the best.’ OK, for years people have been saying (Jones) is the best. It should not offend (him) to the point that you feel like you have to go on this tangent and answer pretty much every single tweet.
“How do you answer every tweet sent to you when you have that many followers? I just think sometimes you gotta let go of your ego, read the room, pick your time, and do those things in those moments that are necessary.”
Daniel Cormier doesn’t understand why Jon Jones ‘lost his mind’ over Khabib Nurmagomedov GOAT talk
