Daniel Cormier Buries Jorge Masvidal’s Chances At UFC Title Shot

Daniel Cormier holds a legendary status in the world of MMA. The star was even inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last month in Las Vegas. Daniel Cormier recently retaliated against Jorge Masvidal’s verbal attack on championship contention as a former UFC two-division champion.

Masvidal was recently dismissed from title contention by Cormier after suffering three straight losses and two failed title bouts. Cormier advised him to pick up some major victories first before calling for the new champion. Masvidal retaliated by launching a vicious tirade against Cormier.

DC ignored the verbal abuse, because he thought Masvidal’s manager, Malki Kawa, the head of First Round Management, was to blame. Kawa let Cormier know that Masvidal had actually written the message. Cormier finally responded to the whole fiasco in a recent video released on his YouTube channel. He stressed that notoriety alone does not ensure a chance in the sport.

At times, fighters mistake popularity for success. It’s not true. That’s not true, especially in this instance right now. Being popular will not give Jorge Masvidal the title shot. Even though you’re popping, it does not outweigh the work you put on paper… The popularity is great as a starting point but ultimately, everything that comes is rooted in the work. What a lot of us forget in regards to Jorge Masvidal, he wasn’t supposed to fight Kamaru Usman in Abu Dhabi the first time… it all came down to chance.

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DC recalled how Masvidal’s first title opportunity was a lucky break. Cormier offered his opinion on how “Gamebred” might be eligible for a second title opportunity.

“How does Jorge Masvidal get to a title fight? One, you gotta fight Gilbert Burns right now. You got to accept the fight. I don’t know if you have been offered the fight, or if the legal issues are keeping you from taking the fight, but Gilbert Burns is out there saying the fight has been offered. He’s out there saying publicly, it’s just on you now. I know Jorge Masvidal is a street dude, from Miami, and does not run from a fight. But if you want that title fight, you got to fight “Durinho” right now. And you gotta win.”

Cormier also emphasized a crucial topic and exhorted Masvidal to move forward in the right direction. “You also ‘gotta do one more thing. You gotta fight him before the Edwards-Usman trilogy is announced. You gotta be going in the right direction by the time that the fight is announced so that if given the opportunity, you can capitalize on the chance, just like you did in the first title fight.”

DC then sent a final message for Masvidal and other athletes, who attack him and other fighters-turned-media members such as Michael Bisping. “Jorge Masvidal and I have been in the same circle, the same organizations, all the way back to Strikeforce, and I respect him immensely. But I ask all these guys, once again, who are you talking to? Because I would appreciate knowing. Do I stay in hibernation or does that big nasty bear come back to play? I guess I’ll find out soon enough.”

Prior to joining the UFC broadcast team, Cormier ruled the light heavyweight and heavyweight categories of the organization. He has frequently come under fire from rival fighters who claim he speaks with bias in the commentary box. Stay tuned to Thirsty for more news and updates.

What’s your take on this DC-Masvidal beef? Sound off in the comments.