5 controversial UFC post-fight interviews
In the heat of a UFC fight, combatants are high on adrenaline and likely in severe pain from their opponent’s offense. By the time the end bell has been rung, neither athlete is quite the same compared to before the fight.
Interviews are a key part of any sport; they’re a window into the mind frames and future objectives of the athletes at hand. However, in the UFC, the sport on offer typically involves brutal knocks to the head. Furthermore, to fight at the professional level, one has to have a level of confidence and aggression most never will.
When one puts these two things together, the results can be volatile to say the least. In more recent years, many have argued injured and/or KO’d fighters should not be interviewed post-fight. As fair as this reasoning is, there are plenty of victorious fighters who’ve also surprised and infuriated viewers for a very different set of reasons.
Here are five controversial UFC post-fight interviews:
#5. Daniel Cormier at UFC 214
Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier is one of the most bitter and seminal rivalries in UFC history. These two men, polar opposites in many ways, truly hated one another heading into both of their clashes.
The first time around, Jon Jones secured a unanimous decision victory at UFC 182. Following Jones’ suspension, Cormier won the vacant title and embarked upon his own championship reign in the division.
At UFC 214, the long-awaited, roadblock-laden rematch arrived and the hatred between the pair was more heated than ever. Cormier came out swinging in the first two rounds, doing some serious damage to the typically unstoppable Jones.
In round three, however, one kick to the head brought everything to a crashing halt for DC.
Jon Jones was (briefly) light heayweight champion again, this time having finished his arch rival. A distraught DC, who was likely still seeing stars after that kick, was quickly interviewed by Joe Rogan. While Rogan did acknowledge interviewing freshly knocked out fighters isn’t ideal, he pushed ahead anyway.
A weeping Cormier simply said:
“If you win both fights, there is no rivalry.”
Cormier has nothing to be ashamed of here but the interview raised eyebrows due to the state of his health. Clearly rocked by the punishment he’d received and emotional from the setback, many felt he should’ve been left alone after the bell.