Daniel Cormier learned the hard way that private conversations can still get caught on camera.
Ahead of UFC 321 this past weekend, the UFC Hall of Famer conducted a one-on-one interview with heavyweight
champion Tom Aspinall before his fight against Ciryl Gane. After the interview wrapped, Cormier pulled Aspinall aside and offered him additional praise, saying he could go on a remarkable run in the division, especially when looking at the potential matchups ahead.
During the conversation, Cormier noted that Jailton Almeida “can’t fight” as he prepared for a potential No. 1 contender’s bout against Alexander Volkov on the same card. Almeida ultimately lost a split decision after he grappled his way to numerous takedowns but failed to produce almost any meaningful offense.
“I was literally trying to tell him you could possibly be on the verge of something tremendously special right now,” Cormier explained on Good Guy/Bad Guy on Monday. “In that statement, I was saying Jailton’s going to grapple you. It’s not as dangerous a fight. I could have done a better job of saying that to Tom.
“Now I was a little upset that Tom and them released that, if I’m being honest with you. I thought when you lean into someone and you’re talking quietly, that’s a private conversation that should stay between you and the athlete. I thought it was Embedded, and I know that Embedded would never do something like that.”
The video was released on Aspinall’s personal YouTube channel, which offered a behind-the-scenes look at his final preparations as well as all the work that goes into fight week, which includes numerous interviews like the one conducted with Cormier.
Aspinall never directly addressed his decision to record the conversation with Cormier or release it publicly, although he acknowledged that the former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion commended him on possibly becoming an all-time great heavyweight.
As for Cormier, he addressed his criticism about Almeida, who remains a top 10-ranked heavyweight but has fallen short in the two biggest fights of his career, with Volkov and previously against Curtis Blades.
Honest assessment or not, Cormier regrets that Almeida had to hear him talking that way, especially given that he believed he was only speaking directly to Aspinall and not being recorded.
“Regardless of what you’re saying, whether you’re saying it in jest or you’re being honest, Jailton Almeida deserves respect, and I do respect him and I feel bad,” Cormier said. “He’s been so nice to me since he got into the UFC, and I think Jailton Almeida’s a great guy.
“I think that he does need to round out his game. Because the grappling is elite, but there’s no damage. Even Dana [White] went up there after the fight and was like ‘I’m so glad that Volkov won because you don’t just get to take somebody down and hold them down.”
The loss likely pushes Almeida out of title talk conversations for the immediate future and maybe even longer if the Brazilian can’t find a way to inflict more damage on his opponents after securing takedowns.
“You sign up to go fight,” Cormier said about Almeida. “You have to fight. You really just have to go out there and fight. I think Jailton’s going to watch that last fight and be very upset about that performance and not getting the decision.”
