Daniel Cormier does not like what’s happening with fighters after their UFC careers are over.
This past weekend, Cormier’s longtime friend and teammate Luke Rockhold made his boxing debut, taking on Darren Till at Misfits Boxing 22. It went horribly. Till beatdown Rockhold, dropping him multiple times before brutally knocking him out in the third round. It’s the second stoppage loss for Rockhold since leaving the UFC in 2022, and it was a depressing watch for Cormier.
“For me, what makes me sad is
watching guys that have had those careers, go and fight these fights that really mean nothing,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I guess it’s for money, but it sucks when you see a guy that was a champion all of a sudden almost say, ‘To hell with the legacy, I’m just going to go get paid.’ …
“Something has got to change in that regard because, bro, I hated it. He got knocked out so bad. And then, you can tell when it don’t matter so much, because right afterward, they’re together in a picture at a bar. You could just tell that it don’t matter. It just doesn’t matter to him that he got knocked out, and it sucks.”
While this is certainly not new to combat sports, in recent years, several organizations have emerged that sign prominent ex-UFC fighters, including Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and Misfits Boxing. The rise of the influencer boxing scene, and Jake Paul especially, pulls in former UFC champions or legends, often with unfortunate results. Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley were both brutally stopped by Jake Paul, while Nate Diaz and Anderson Silva also lost to the former Disney Channel star. And now Frankie Edgar, 43, will make the jump to BKFC to fight Jimmie Rivera, three years after retiring from MMA after three consecutive knockout losses.
Cormier went on to lament that other organizations are using former champions to build their products at the expense of those champions, but acknowledged he is not sure who can or should have the authority to tell fighters when it’s time to hang up the gloves. Ultimately, the decision falls to the fighters, and Cormier hopes that in the future that fewer will choose to prolong their careers in other organizations.
“When you are a champion, or a person that wore the UFC title, there are so many ways for you to make money,” Cormier said. “There are ways to do it without stepping inside of a boxing ring, without stepping inside of a bare-knuckle boxing fight. So crazy. Frankie Edgar is about to do it. Frankie Edgar is about to fight in bare-knuckle boxing. I like Frankie. I don’t know that that’s the greatest idea. So hopefully someone close to him goes, ‘Frankie, I don’t know if this is the fight or this is the move.’
“Because ultimately, we are watching great champions, from a long time past, and from a long history of great champions go out there and fight in a way that’s no great for them, and I don’t love the visuals. They say all great champions go out on their back, but they don’t need to go out like that. …
“Find alternatives, guys. You don’t have to fight forever. We have our time, and then the time passes. They always say Father Time is undefeated. That’s never been proved more true than with what we’re seeing lately.”
Fortunately for Cormier, at least one one respect, he’s getting his wish. Yesterday, Rockhold said he was done fighting following this most recent loss. Hopefully, he sticks to that.
TOP STORIES
Done? Luke Rockhold is all but retired after being brutally knocked out by Darren Till at Misfits Boxing 22.
LIES! Alex Pereira admits he wasn’t hacked in UFC dispute earlier this year: ‘It was a little bit impulsive’
Debate. Usman Nurmagomedov doesn’t think Ilia Topuria has done enough to be considered No. 1 at lightweight.
Retrospect. Alexander Volkanovski knows he fought Topuria too soon after being head kicked by Islam Makhachev.
Sodium. Salt Papi thinks he and his fans were “robbed” by a bad stoppage.
Throwdown. Islam Makhachev coach Javier Mendez welcomes a striking battle between Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena.
Retire. ‘Ride off into the sunset’: Colby Covington urges Tony Ferguson to retire after Misfits Boxing 22 win.
VIDEO STEW
Check out Damon Martin’s full chat with Usman Nurmagomedov.
UFC Paris media day.
Mauricio Ruffy’s hot streak heading into UFC Paris.
Cory Sandhagen with the jokes.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Undefeated.
Rat Garbage FOREVER.
Deserved.
Oh?
I mean, I’d watch. Also, Paulo Costa is going to have a lot of fun with this, I’d imagine.
Gotta be laws against this.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Cormier kind of figured out the issue in real time. We don’t want fighters to keep going, but how do you tell them to stop? The harsh truth is that for many, retirement has to be beaten into them. It’s among the worst parts of this sport.
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