Former two-division UFC champion and current UFC commentator Daniel Cormier has broken his silence on recent accusations of commentator bias. Some fighters, including Justin Gaethje and Marvin Vettori, have accused DC and his fellow commentators of bias during broadcasts of UFC fights.
Most recently, some have alleged that he blatantly favored American Kickboxing Academy fighter and his friend Islam Makhachev.
DC Fires Back at Accusations of Bias
DC addressed these accusations on Debate DC on Vover. “How could I be biased to Islam? What could I have possibly said positive about Dan Hooker in that fight? There is no bias whenever a fight is clearly on one side.
That’s where it becomes a bit much for me and that’s when you start to understand and realize why the people from the outside, their opinions don’t matter as much because they make those types of claims.”
In the interest of accuracy, Gaethje’s issue with Daniel Cormier came from his post-fight interview, in which Cormier asked Makhachev “Why should you fight for a championship as opposed to the winner of (Michael) Chandler vs. Justin Gaethje?” much to Gaethje’s chagrin.
Considering that Gaethje and Chandler are fighting this weekend, the winner of which will be expected to take on the winner of Poirier vs Oliveira next month, “The Highlight” may well have good reason to take issue with Cormier’s attitude.
“I don’t mind addressing this whole bias thing. I think it’s absurd. I don’t agree at all. I think it’s absurd and if you ask me if I am biased towards Islam Makhachev or Khabib Nurmagomedov – guys, I have called Khabib’s fights, Luke Rockhold, Deron Winn, Islam Makhachev, I’ve called all of their fights and I feel like I have done their opponents justice.
I go out of my way to make sure that we do their opponents justice. I’m a professional and for as much as I love my teammates, I understand the difference to separate myself from that. Look man, if you’re not getting critiqued then you’re not doing a great job.”
Daniel Cormier will have the chance, of course, to rectify this accusation when he heads into the commentary booth for UFC 268. He may have to “go out of his way” not to upset Justin Gaethje again, but as always in MMA the result will matter more than the opinions leading up to it.
Do you think DC’s commentary is biased towards his teammates? Let us know in the comments.
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