Daniel Cormier Criticizes UFC for Shielding Its ‘Golden Goose’
Why isn’t Alex Pereira defending his UFC light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev?
That’s a question I found myself pondering this past weekend when the UFC 308 main card was revealed, and instead of facing the No. 1 contender for the 205-pound title, Pereira is matched up against No. 5-ranked Aleksandr Rakic.
This matchmaking decision was questioned by former two-division champion and current UFC analyst Daniel Cormier. During a recent episode of “Good Guy, Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen, Cormier was asked why Pereira isn’t fighting Ankalaev.
“Can I be honest with you?” Cormier responded. “I’m not sure why Pereira isn’t fighting Ankalaev. I don’t know why that fight isn’t happening. What I do like, though, is that Ankalaev now has to face another challenge. It seems like the UFC is saying, ‘We have this star, and we know that this other guy could be a significant threat to him. They will fight eventually, but only when there’s no other option.’ And I like that. I think it’s a good approach.”
Is Cormier right? I’m not sure, but I can’t say I agree with him, and I’d guess that most in the MMA community wouldn’t be on board either. However, it’s hard to argue against Cormier’s reasoning.
Unless Pereira is injured or needs a break after a busy 2024—where he knocked out Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 in April and then demolished Jiri Prochazka in June at UFC 302—Ankalaev’s next fight should probably have been for the title.
Is the UFC protecting Pereira?
“I don’t think it’s quite that risky yet,” Cormier said. “And I’m not saying Pereira can’t fight or beat Ankalaev. I just think it’s a really tough matchup, maybe the hardest for him in the entire light heavyweight division. So I think they’re making him wait, or putting him against another striker right now. Because he’s been knocking out strikers left and right, and every time he does, Chael, his star power just grows. So maybe that’s what’s happening with Alex Pereira. But I’m rarely surprised when fights are announced. Yet I remember sitting in Manchester, hearing UFC 308, and when I saw Rakic vs. Ankalaev, my jaw dropped. I was like, they actually did it. Sometimes you’ve got to protect that golden goose a little bit, and that’s kind of what it feels like.”
