Daniel Cormier is pleased that there is now some dislike between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.
Next Sunday, the UFC White House event finally kicks off on the South Lawn of the White House after months of build-up and preparation.
In the main event, Ilia Topuria looks to unify the lightweight title when he takes on interim champion, Justin Gaethje, who is looking to finally become the undisputed champion at the third time of asking.
Throughout the build-up of the fight, the two have remained respectful of one another, however, earlier this week, that seemingly changed.
Cormier backs Gaethje’s personal jab at Topuria
‘El Matador’ recently released a promotion video in an attempt to hype up his fight, and in the video, the Spaniard placed a ‘special’ white rose on a mural of Gaethje, which lay next to murals of Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski.
That led to ‘The Highlight’ sending a vicious jab towards Topuria, as he labeled the champion a ‘gimmick’ while referencing his recent divorce.
Although some fans think Gaethje has stepped over the line, UFC commentator Daniel Cormier is actually a big fan of Gaethje’s jab, stating that he likes how this rivalry has now gotten personal.
“I always like when there is trash talk accompanying a fight, especially a championship fight and a fight of that magnitude,” Cormier said in a recent video on his YouTube channel.
“You need to have those things that surround the fight that make the general fan go, ‘I’ve got to see this’… To see now that the pleasantries aren’t as evident as they might have been before, I like it. I like the storylines… I am a fan of this thing… Now we’re starting to get that (the fight feels bigger),” Cormier added.
With a loss to the 29-year-old on what is set to be the biggest event of all time, we could see Gaethje retire from the sport for good.
The 37-year-old is nearing the end of his UFC career, and a brutal knockout at the hands of ‘El Matador’ could spark the end of what has been one of the most exciting careers ever.